CHICAGO; 


MJbte, 


COMMERCE  AID  RAILROADS: 


TWO  ARTICLES 


PUBLISHED  IN  THE  DAILY  DEMOCRATIC  I'ltESS. 


C  H  I  C  A  G-  O  : 

I'KESS  HOOK  ANI>  JOB  STEAM  PRINTING  ul  Kit  F   4;>  CLi 


1803. 


ANNUAL   REVIEW 


OF  THE 


BUSINESS  OF  CHICAGO, 


FOR  THE  YEAE  1852. 


"We  lay  before  our  readers  to-day  our  first 
Annual  Review  of  the  business  of  the  city. 
For  a  variety  of  reasons,  this  has  been  de- 
layed much  beyond  the  time  when  we  intend- 
ed to  have  issued  it  The  absence  of  one  of 
the  editors,  sickness,  and  the  delay  incident 
to  the  collecting  of  statistics,  are  our  apol- 
ogy- 

The  past  has  been,  a  year  of  unexampled 
prosperity,  and  our  city  has  shared  largely  in 
the  general  progress  of  the  country.  In  no 
former  year  has  so  much  been  done  to  place 
its  business  upon  a  permanent  basis,  and  ex- 
tend its  commerce.  By  the  extension  of  the 
Galena  Railroad  to  Rockford,  we  have  drawn 
to  this  city  the  trade  of  portions  of  Wiscon- 
sin, Iowa  and  Minnesota,  that  hitherto  sought 
other  markets;  and  when  our  roads  reach  the 
Father  of  Waters,  as  two  of  them  will  within 
the  present  year,  we  may  expect  an  avalanche 
of  business,  for  which  we  fear  all  our  whole- 
sale houses  will  not  be  prepared. 

The  opening  of  the  Rock  Island  Railroad, 
Oct.  18th  to  Joliet,  Jan.  5th  to  Morris,  Feb. 
14th  to  Ottawa,  and  to  La  Salle  March  10th, 
has  brought  customers  during  the  winter  from 
a  different  direction,  and  made  an  unusually 
4 '  lively  winter"  for  our  business  men.  The 
•extension  of  this  and  other  roads  must  tend 
to  add  to  our  activity  and  permanent  pros- 
perity in  an  increasing  ratio. 

In  order  that  the  files  of  the  Democratic 
Press  may  be  perfect  as  a  source  for  future  re- 
ference, we  avail  ourselves  of  the  labors  of 
one  of  its  editors  while  connected  with  an- 
other paper,  and  republish  a  statement  pre- 
pared by  him,  of  the  business  of  the  city  pri- 
or to  the  year  1851. 

The  press  of  the  city,  previous  to  the  year 
1849  neglected  to  publish  connected  state- 
ments of  the  business  of  the  city  ;  but  we  are 
nevertheless  not  without  some  recorded  facts 


of  the  past,  which  will  serve  to  show  how 
rapid  has  been  the  growth  of  Chicago,  how 
great  the  increase  of  her  commerce.  In  some 
of  the  earliest  "Directories,"  we  find  collected 
various  interesting  statistics  on  this  subject, 
which,  although  not  as  full  as  could  be  wished, 
are  yet  highly  satisfactory  in  the  absence  of 
more  definite  statements.  Though  the  polite- 
ness of  T.  HOYNE,  Esq.,  we  have  been  placed 
in  possession  of  a  memorial  to  Congress,  pray- 
ing for  an  appropriation  for  the  improvement 
of  the  Chicago  harbor,  embodying  statistics 
from  1836  to  1842,  inclusive.  We  also  find  in 
the  Report  of  the  late  Judge  Thomas,  made  in 
compliance  with  a  resolution  of  the  River 
and  Harbor  convention,  which  assembled  in 
this  city  in  1847,  the  fullest  collection  of  the 
commercial  statistics  of  Chicago  from  1836 
up  to  1848,  that,  we  presume,  is  extant. — 
From  these  three  sources  we  compile  the  fol- 
lowing facts,  which  will  be  read  with  interest 
by  every  one  identified  with  the  prosperity 
of  our  city. 

Up  to  the  year  1836  provisions,  for  domes- 
tic consumption,  were  imported  along  with 
articles  of  merchandise  ;  and  indeed  many  ar- 
ticles of  necessary  food,  continued  to  be 
brought  in  for  several  years  later.  In  1836 
there  were  exported  from  the  port  of  Chicago, 
articles  of  produce  of  the  value  of  $1,000.64. 
We  have  felt  a  great  curiosity  to  know  what 
articles  constituted  this  first  year's  business, 
but  have  sought  in  vain  for  any  other  record 
save  that  which  gives  the  value.  The  next 
year,  the  exports  had  increased  to  $11,065; 
in  1838  they  reached  the  sum  of  $16,044  75. 
In  1839  they  more  than  doubled  the  year 
previous,  while  in  1840  they  had  increased  to 
what  was  then  doubtless  regarded  as  the  very 
large  sum  of,  $228,635  74!  This  was  progress, 
ing  in  a  ratio  very  seldom  equalled  in  the 
history  of  cities,  and  must  have  caused  no  lit- 


tie  exhileration  among  the  business  men  of 
Chicago,  as  well  as  advanced  the  views  of 
fortunate  holders  of  water  and  corner  lots. 

We  are  informed  in  Judge  Thomas'  Re- 
port, that  a  "  small  lot  of  beef  was  shipped 
from  Chicago  as  early  as  1833,  and  was  fol- 
lowed each  successive  year  by  a  small  con- 
signment of  this  article,  and  also  of  pork." — 
Some  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  first  consign- 
ment may  be  formed  from  the  fact  that  three 
years  after,  the  total  exports  of  the  place 
were  valued  at  $1,000  64.  It  was  truly  a 
small  beginning,  and  gave  but  slight  promise 
of  the  great  extent  to  which,  as  the  sequel 
will  show,  this  branch  of  business  has  grown. 
The  same  authority  informs  us  that  the  first 
shipment  of  wheat  from  this  port  was  made 
in  the  year  1839.  In  1842  the  amount  ship- 
ped reached  586,907  bushels  and  in  1848,  2,- 


While  an  analysis  of  the  statement  for  1848y 
which,  by  the  way,  was  gotten  up  hurriedly, 
under  supervision  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  re- 
veals facts  of  this  character,  that  of  1847,  pre- 
pared by  Judge  Thomas,  is  evidently  short  of 
the  truth,  as  he  conclusively  shows  in  his 
pamphlet,  owing  to  the  impossibility  of  ob- 
taining full  reports  of  several  branches  of 
business.  This  much  in  explanation  of  an  ap- 
parent increase, the  magnitude  of  which  would 
be  likely  to  induce  distrust  as  to  its  entire  ac- 
curacy. 

We  have  not  attempted  to  estimate  the  to 
tal  annual  amount  of  our  commerce,  since  the- 
year  1848,  preferring  to  give,  as  far  as  it  wa» 
possible  to  obtain  accurate  informaton,  the 
amount  of  each  specific  article  which  enter* 
into  it.  It  is  not  out  of  place,  however,  to 
state  that  the  increase  in  vahie,  during  the 


160,000  bushels  were  shipped  out  of  the  port   last  four  years,  has  been  in  a  ratio  fully  equal 


of  Chicago.  Since  that  period  there  has  been 
a  material  falling  off  until  the  past  year,  in 
the  annual  exports  of  wheat,  owing  to  a  par- 
tial failure  of  the  .crop  each  succeeding  year, 

paying 


to  that  of  any  like  previous  period. 

While  speaking  of  the  progress  of  our  city 
in  respect  to  the  extent  of  her  commerce,  we 
desire  also  to  call  attention  to  her  rapid,  al- 
most unexampled,  increase  of  population.  In 


1837,  at  the  first  municipal  election,  the  vote 


and  from  the  fact  that   farmers  are 
more  attention  to  other  products. 

for  Mayor  stood  as  follows : 

We  subjoin  a  table  of -the  value  of  imports        porw.B  Ogden 
and  exports  from  1836  to  1848  inclusive. 

Imports.  Exports. 

1836 $325,203  90  $1,000  64 

1837 373,677  12  11,665  00 

1838 579.174  61  16.044  75 

1839 630,980  26  33,843  00 

1840 562,106  20  228,635  74 

1841 564,347  88  348,862  24 

1842 664,347  88  659,305  20 

1843 971,849  75  682,210  85 

1844.... 1,686,416  00  785,50423 

1845 2,043,44573  1,543.51985 

1846...,,,..,. 2,027,150  00  1,813,468  00 

1847 2.641,852  52  2,296,299  00 

1848 8,338,639  86  10,709,333  40 

The  increase  of  imports  and  exports  in  1848 
over  those  of  1847  was  not  as  great  as  ap- 
pears from  the  above  figures.  The  prices  at 
which  various  articles  for  the  latter  j  ear  were 
estimated,  are  altogether  too  large.  For  ex 
ample :  The  exports  of  wheat  amounted  to 
2,160,000  bushels,  and  its  value  is  set  down 
at  $2,095,000— almost  $1.00  per  bushel.  A 
truer  average  of  the  value  of  spring  and  win- 
ter wheat,  for  that  year,  would  have  been 
about  60  or  65c.  per  bushel.  Again:  The 
valuation  of  machinery  turned  out  by  our  '  and  though  building  has  been  constant  to  the 
manufacturers  that  year,  is  put  down  at !  full  extent  of  the  mechanical  force  of  the  city, 
$1,060,262;  that  of  furniture  at  $649,326— of !  1,000  additional  dwellings  would  find  good 
wagons  at  $302,104.  When  we  take  into  |  tenants  almost  immediately.  Our  best  in- 
consideration  the  increase  which  has  taken  :  formed  citizens  corroborate  the  opinion  that 
place  in  each  of  the  above  branches  of  tnanu-  the  present  population  of  Chicago  is 
facture,  in  our  city,  since  1848,  the  conclusion  i  5O,OOO. 

must  be  inevitable  that  the  former  were  over- 
rated. 


V.  B.  Ogden, 470 

J.  H.  Kinzie, ••"233 

Total  vote  in  1837 703 

At  the  Presidential  election  in  November, 
1852,  the  vote  stood  as  follows: 

Gen.  Pierce...,  ....2,392 

Gen.  Scott 1,575 

John  P.  Hale 496 

Total  vote .4,463 

The  first  census  returns  of  the  city  which 
we  have  been  able  to  procure  are  for  the  year 
1840.  In  the  years  1841,  1842,  1844  and 
1851,  no  census  was  taken.  The  following  are 
the  returns  for  the  other  years: 

1840...           ,...4,479  1847....       ....1P,359 

1843 7,580  1848 20,02:5 

1845 12,088  1849 23,047 

1846 ,14,169  1850 


Since  the  last  census  was  taken,  the  increase 
of  population  has  been  twice  as  large  as  it  has 
been  at  any  other  period,  for  the  same  length 
of  time,  for  the  last  sixteen  years.  Rents  or' 
dwellings  have  almost  doubled  in  six  months, 


Take  another  view  of  the  progress  of  the 
;  city.     The  following  is  a  statement  of  the 


value  of  the  real  and  personal  property  as 
found  on  the  collector's  books ;  but  it  must 
be  remembered  that  th^se  assessments  do  not 
represent  much  if  any  more  than  one-fourth 
of  the  real  value : — 


1839 1,829,420 

1840 1,8(54.205 

1841 1.888,1(50 

1842 2,325.240 

1843 2,250,735 


1846 5,071,402 

1847 6,189,385 

1848 9,98t5,000 

1849 7.617,102 

1850 8,101,000 


1844 3,166,945  1851 9,431,826 

1845 3,669.124  1852 12.035,037 

From  this  slight  survey  of  the  past  history 
of  our  city,  the  reader  will  turn  with  interest 
to  thf  details  of  its  commerce  for  the  year 
185  ',  which  we  now  proceed  to  give: — 

The  internal  commerce  of  Chicago  is  con- 
ducted through  twelve  Bankers  and  Dealers 
in  Exchange,  one  hundred  and  twenty-two 
wholesale,  forwarding,  commission  and  pro- 
duce houses,  and  fifty-two  lumber  dealers. 
FLOUR. 

The  total  amount  of  Flour  handled,  during 
1852,  was  124,316  barrels,  and  was  received 
from  the  following  sources: 

Chicago  <fe  Galena  Railroad 44,316  bbls. 

Lake 2,875    " 

Canal 1,846    " 

Eastern  Railroads 4,300    " 

Manufactured  in  city 70,979    " 


Years. 
1844 

1845 


Total  ............................  124,316  bbls. 

This  amount  would  have  been  increased 
fully  50,000  barrels,  but  for  the  long  contin- 
ued drouth  during  four  months  of  last  year, 
by  which  over  fifty  run  of  stone  were  sus- 
pended on  the  Fox  and  Rock  rivers,  and  the 
difficulty  of  getting  a  good  article  of  wheat 
previous  to  the  first  of  August. 

The  shipments  from  this  port,  for  a  series  of 
years,  were  as  follows  : 

bbls. 
6,320 
13,752 
28,045 
1*47  .......................................  32,538 

1848  .......................................  45,200 

1849  .......................................  51,300 

1850  ......................................  100,871 

1*51  .......................................  72,406 

1W3  .......................................  61,196 

In  1850,  it  will  be  remembered  that  in  con- 
sequence of  a  short  crop,  south  of  us,  prices 
of  wheat  and  flour  ruled  very  high  in  St.  Lou- 
is, arid  that  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
stock  in  hands  of  dealers  in  this  city,  on  the 
opening  of  navigation,  was  shipped  to  that 
destination.  Of  the  shipments  of  flour  in  1850, 
56,432  bbls.  were  by  lake,  and  34,439  bbls.  by 
canal.  The  falling  off  this  year  was 
owing  to  the  increased  consumption  of  the 
city,  and  the  large  amount,  bought  in  small 
lots,  to  supply  the  laborers  on  the  railroads. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  year,  the 
market  was  not  animated,  and  prices  ruled 
low.  Toward  the  latter  part  of  the  season, 
however,  there  was  an  advance,  occasioned 


partly  by  the  large  home  demand,  and  the 
general  upward  tendency  of  the  Eastern 
market. 

The  following  is  a  comparative  statement 
of  the  prices  in  this  market  on  the  first  of 
each  month  for  the  years  1851  and  1852 — the 
lower  figures  being  for  common  country 
spring  wheat  brands,  and  the  higher  for  best 
city. 

1851. 

January $2,75@4,50 $2,1 

February 2,75@4,50 

March 3,00®5,00 

April 3,00@4,50.... 

May 3,00®  4,25 

June 3,00@4,25 

July 3,00@4,25 

August 2.25@4,25 

September 2,25<«*4.2o 

October 2,25@3,75 

November 2,25@3,75. 

December , 


WHEAT. 

"We  have  already  stated  that  in  consequence 
of  the  partial  failure  of  the  wheat  crop  since 
1848,  and  from  the  fact  that  our  farmers  are 
paying  more  attention  to  other  products,  this 
branch  of  produce  rapidly  fell  off  from  1848 
down  to  and  including  1851.  Wheat  grow- 
ing has  undergone  a  great  change  within  four 
years.  Previous  to  that  time,  there  was  very 
little  spring  wheat  grown,  the  winter  variety 
being  a  reliable  crop,  almost  without  excep- 
tion. Subsequently,  for  three  years,  it  was 
almost  invariably  a  failure,  and  spring  wheat 
has  been  substituted,  or  the  cultivation  of  the 
crop  has  been  abandoned.  Last  year,  how- 
ever, all  the  winter  wheat  that  had  been 
sown  the  previous  fall,  turned  out  bountifully 
at  harvest,  and  our  farmers  are  somewhat  en- 
couraged to  substitute  it  for  spring.  Never- 
theless, so  long  as  the  relative  values  of  grain 
continue  as  they  have  have  been  for  the  last 
two  years,  our  fanners  will  prefer  to  culti- 
vate corn  and  oats,  which  afford  a  better  com- 
pensation for  the  labor  bestowed  on  them,  and 
are,  besides,  a  more  certain  crop.  Neverthe- 
less, the  favorable  harvest,  last  year,  was  a 
means  of  stopping  the  downward  tendency  in 
the  production  of  this  staple,  and  we  are  con- 
fident that  our  tables  of  receipts  and  ship- 
ments each  year,  hereafter,  will  show  an  in- 
crease even  more  rapid  than  the  decline. — 
During  thisyear,.the  almost  unrivalled  wheat 
growing  State  of  Iowa  will  be  reached  by  our 
railroads  at  two  points,  and  its  productions 
be  turned  to  this,  instead  of  a  southern  mar- 
ket. 

The  following  are  the  sources  from  which 
the  wheat  marketed  here  last  year,  were  se- 
cured,, and  the  amount  from  each,  respective- 
ly:. 


Chicago  &  Galena  Railroad 504,996  bushels. 

Canal 108,597 

Lake...- 129,251 

Eastern  Railroads 13,903 

Teams 


Total 937,496 

The  receipts  from  the  lake  were  principal- 
ly obtained  at  Michigan  City,  for  the  use  of 
our  city  mills.  The  remainder  came  from 
St  Joseph,  Niles,  Soutli  Bend,  Port  Wash- 
ington and  other  places.  The  general  sub- 
stitution of  spring  for  winter  wheat,  by  our 
Illinois  farmers,  haa  so  reduced  the  supply 
of  the  latter  quality,  that  our  mills  are 
compelled  to  buy  abroad  for  a  large  por- 
tion of  their  first  brands  of  flour. 

Tlie  receipts  here  during  the  year,  1852, 
were  disposed  of  as  follows : 

Shipped  by  Lake. ...  635,196  bushels. 

"          Canal 807       " 

Used  by  Distillers 13,000 

"     byMills.., 000"nn       " 


In  the  early  part  of  the  year,  the  market  here 
was  dull,  owing,  in  a  measure,  to  the  inferior 
quality  of  the  crop  of  1851.  Subsequent  to 
the  harvest  last  year,  which  produced  a  good 
quality  of  grain,  there  was  a  better  demand, 
and  a  general  advance  in  the  price  of  both 
spring  and  winter  qualities.  The  following 
is  a  statement  of  the  ruling  market  rates  at 
the  commencement  of  each  month  of  the 


year. 

Spring. 

January 31-42 

February 37-45 

March 35-45 

April 34-40 

May 34-40 

June 34-40 

July 37-39 

August 40-43 

September 44-50 

October , 48-56 

November 55-60 

December 56-60 


Winter. 
50-65 
50-70 
60-72 
60-70 
62-72 
68-76 
68-76 
65-70 
69-75 
60-72 
66-75 
70-SO 


The  shipments  from  this  port,  for  a  series 
of  years,  are  as  follows: 

1842 586,907    1847 1,974,304 

1843 688,967    1848 2,160,000 

1844 891,894    1849 1,936,264 

1845 056,860    1850 883,1544 

1846 1,459,594    1851 437,660 

1852 635,496 

One  thing  specially  to  be  marked  is  our 
small  receipts  of  wheat  from  the  Illinois  riv- 
er. Of  the  amount  received  by  Canal — 108,- 
597  bushels,  not  over  30,000  bushels  came 
from  the  river.  This  result  is  not  because 
there  is  no  surplus  grown  in  the  counties 
bordering  on  that  river,  but  because  our  mar- 
ket has  not  been  able  to  compete  successfully 
•with  that  of  St.  Louis,  where  the  milling  de- 
mand is  so  great,  thac  prices  are  usually  kept 
tap  several  cents  above  shipping  rates.  When 
the  canal  was  completed,  it  was  not  doubted 
that  we  should  receive  a  large  part  of  our 
Biipply  of  this  staple  from  a  point  south  of 
Peru,  but  for  the  last  two  years,  the  entire 


amount  has  not  been  a  twentieth  part  as 
great  as  that  received  by  the  Chicago  and 
Salena  railroad.  Over  I,000r000  of  bushels 
was  shipped  from  the  river  to  St.  Louis,  dur- 
ng  the  past  year,  and  964,134  the  previous 
year.  In  1849,  however,  about  500,000  bush- 
els came  through  to  this  market,  and  this  fact 
shows,  lhat  grain  will  go  to  that  city  or  come 
through  to  this,  as  prices  may  rule  relatively 
tiigh  at  the  North  or  South ;  and  since  a  sin- 
gle penny  per  bushel  may  be  sufficient,  when 
here  is  nearly  an  equipoise  between  the  two, 
bo  turn  the  scale  either  way,  the  subject  com- 
mends itself  forcibly  to  those  who  have  the 
power  of  regulating  the  tolls  upon  the  Illi- 
nois and  Michigan  Canal.  A  modification  of 
those  tolls  we  have  so  frequently  urged  upon 
the  Trustees,  as  a  measure  of  wisdom  that 
will  enhance  the  actual  revenues  of  the  Ca- 
nal, that  it  is  not  necessary  to  repeat  our  sug- 
gestions and  arguments  here.  However,  we 
cannot  but  express  pleasure  at  the  near  ap- 
proach of  the  period  when  the  Canal  will  re- 
vert to  the  State's  control,  according  to  agree- 
ment with  the  Bondholders,  for  we  are  con- 
fident that  the  energetic  and  business  mind 
of  our  Executive,  Gov.  Matteson,  will  at  once 
point  out  measures  in  reference  to  this  great 
work  that  will  make  it  more  useful  and  pro- 
fitable to  the  State  than  it  is  under  its  pres- 
ent management. 

CORIY. 

There  is  no  feature  of  our  trade  that  pre- 
sents a  more  gratifying  aspect  than  that  of 
corn.  Previous  to  1847,  the  receipts  at  this 
point  were  but  little  greater  than  the  then 
small  local  demand,  and  not  one-half  as  great 
as  the  present  consumption  of  the  city  dis- 
tilleries. Our  prairies  were  thought  to  be  un- 
favorable to  the  culture  of  corn,  not,  howev- 
er, for  want  of  success  in  it  so  far  as  it  had 
been  attempted,  but  because  of  the  general 
impression  that  it  was  too  far  north.  Our 
farmers  are  mainly  from  New  England,  where 
corn  is  not  grown  much,  and  it  was  difficult 
for  them  to  overcome  a  belief  in  which  they 
had  been  educated,  that  it  could  only  be  made 
a  profitable  crop  in  a  more  southerly  latitude. 
Nevertheless,  the  failure  of  the  wheat  crop 
in  1850  and  1851,  and  the  more  profitable 
business  of  growing  hogs,  stimulated  the  pro- 
duction of  corn,  and  the  misapprehension  in 
relation  to  its  adaptation  to  our  soil  and  cli- 
mate is  fast  giving  way  to  correct  views  on 
this  subject.  As  a  consequence,  the  receipts 
by  railroad  and  teams  have  largely  augmented 


5 


during  the  past  year,  and  the  coming  one,  we 
doubt  not,  will  show  a  still  further  increase. 
Dtiring  the  past  year  the  total  receipts  at  this 
point  were  2,991,011  bushels,  which  were  de- 
rived from  the  following  sources : 

Illinois  and  Michigan  Cadal...      ...1,810,830  bushels 

Chicago  and  Galena  Railroad 671,961 

From  teams 508,220 


Total 2,991,011 

This  shows   a   large   increase  by  railroad, 
compared  with  the  previous  year,  of  nearly 


400,000  bushels,  and  a   decrease 


180,000 


bushels  by  teams,  and  540,000  bushels  by  ca- 
nal. The  decrease  of  receipts  by  teams  is 
unquestionably  in  a  measure  the  result  of  the 
extension  of  the  railroad,  while  the  falling  off 
in  the  receipts  by  canal  is  entirely  owing  to 
the  suspension  of  navigation  on  the  Illinois 
river,  during  over  three  months  of  last  year. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  but  for  this  circum- 
stance, the  amount  of  receipts  would  have 
been  increased  more  than  500,000  bushels. — 
The  St.  Louis  market  does  not  compete  with 
this  in  the  corn  trade,  only  at  particular 
seasons,  and  now  that  the  freights  from  New 
Orleans  to  New  York  have  become  exorbitant- 
ly hfgh,  the  inevitable  effect  must  be  to  turn 
the  entire  current  of  the  corn  trade  to  our 
city,  from  every  point  on  the  Illinois  river. — 
We  believe  this  is  generally  admitted  by  the 
commercial  papers  of  St.  Louis. 

The  manner  in  which  the  corn  received  at 
this  place,  last  year,  was  disposed  of,  is  as 
follows : 

Shipped  east 2,737,011  bush. 

to  lumber  country....     29,000     * 

Consumed  in  city 10,000     " 

by  distillers 195,000     " 

Total 2,991,011  bush. 

During  the  past  year,  corn  maintained  on 
the  average,  a  very  high  figure.  In  the  ear- 
ly part  of  the  year,  it  was  lower  than  usual, 
but  the  market  steadily  advanced  during  the 
season,  and  in  November  reached  the  highest 
figures  paid  in  this  market  for  fourteen  years. 
We  append  a  statement  of  the  condition  of 
the  market  on  the  first  day  of  each  month. 


In  1849,  the  corn  crop  generally  failed — 
the  first  time  for  many  years — throughout 
the  Southern  States.  In  Alabama,  Mississip- 
pi, Arkansas  and  Tennessee,  there  was  al- 
most a  total  failure,  and  in  some  localities 
famine  prices  were  paid  during  the  winter, 
spring  and  summer  of  1850,  until  the  new 
crop  came  in.  So  high  were  prices,  that  no 
small  amount  was  shipped  from  points  on 
the  canal,  but  a  few  miles  below  the  city  to 
the  Southern  States,  and  the  receipts  at  St. 
Louis  more  than  reached  those  of  the  previ- 
ous year. 

OATS. 

The  increase  of  the  oats  trade  for  1852  over 
1851,  was  nearly  300  percent,  and  more  than 
doubly  compensated  for  the  falling  off  in  corn. 
The  recaipts  were  derived  as  follows: 

From  Canal 833,703  bush. 

'     Railroad 674.941 

Teams, , 


Total  receipts , 2,089,941 

The  shipments  for  the  season,  were  2,030,- 
317  bushels.  During  the  greater  part  of  the 
year  the  market  advanced  steadily,  and  at  the 
close  of  navigation  was  13  ce"nts  above  the 
prices  paid  in  March,  previously.  The  follow- 
ing will  show  the  state  of  the  market  on  the 
first  of  each  month,  during  the  year : 


January 16-17 

February 19-20 

March 19-20 

April 18-19 

May 18-20 

June 23-24 


July 24-25 

August 27-28 

September 27-28 

October 3032 

November 28-30 

December 28-30 


January 26-28 

February 31-34 

March 33-34 

April 33-34 

May 33-34 

June 30-37 


July. 


.32-33 


August 42-43 

September 50-52 

October 50.53 

November 48-50 

December, 56-58 


The  above  figures  are  for  shelled,  56  Ibs  per 


bushel. 

The   following 


table  will   show  the  ship- 


ments of  corn  from  this  port  for  a  series  of 
years : 

1847....  ....67,315 

1848 550.460 

1849 644,848 

1S50 262,013 

1851 3,221 ,317 

1852 2,757,011 


The  shipments  for  the  last  seven  years  show 
an  increase  almost  unequalled  in  tne  history 
of  commerce.  They  were  as  follows: 

1847 38,892  1850 158,054 

1848 65,280  1851 , 605,827 

1849 26,849          1852 2,030,317 

The  soil  and  climate  of  Northern  -Illinois  is 
eminently  adapted  to  the  growth  of  oats,  and 
we  are  confident  that  our  exports,  during  the 
ensuing  four  years  will  be  increased  to  many 
millions  of  bushels.  The  rapidly  increasing 
consumption  over  production,  of  this  staple 
in  the  Eastern  and  Middle  States,  impresses 
us  with  the  conviction  that  our  market  will 
continue  to  have  many  more  advantages  than 
any  one  south  of  this,  and  that  the  bulk  of 
the  surplus  of  the  Mississippi  valley  will  seek 
this  channel  as  the  most  direct  route  to  the 
ultimate  market. 

RYE. 

We  believe  this  grain  never  was  shipped 
from  this  p.ort  previous  to  last  year,  the  small 
amount  cultivated  by  our  farmers,  and  market- 
ed here  not  being  beyond  the  demands  for 
milling  and  distillation.  If  there  were  any 
shipments  in  previous  years,  we  have  no 


6 


record  of  them.     The    amount  shipped  last 
season,  was   17,015  bushels, 

Of  this  amount  617  bushels  were  received 
from  canal,  and  the  remainder  from  teams 
and  railroad.  The  books  kept  by  the  Rail- 
road Co.  do  not  show  the  transportation  of 
rye  on  that  thoroughfare.  It  being  small,  it 
was  probably  put  down  under  the  head  of 
sundries  or  wheat. 


This  article 


BARLEY. 

is  not  cultivated  largely  in 
northern  Illinois,  and  previous  to  1850  there 
was  not  a  supply  much  beyond  the  wants  of 
our  city  brewers.  In  1849,  all  of  our  surplus 
was  sold  and  shipped  to  the  St.  Louis  market, 
which  was  better  than  the  Eastern.  Until 
1851,  the  entire  shipments  by  lake  did  not 
amount  to  1,000  bushels.  The  following  is  a 
statement  of  the  receipts  of  the  last  year, 
and  the  sources  from  which  it  came: 

From  Canal      8,785  bushels. 

Railroad 90,243       " 

Teams 21,313       " 

Lake 1,687       " 


Total 


.127,028 


The  shipments  for  the  last  four  years  show 
the  following  result: 

1840  (South) 31,453  bush. 

18oO  (South) 21  912      " 

"    (Lake) 'qgO      " 

1801  (South) :....;:::  tun  » 

(Lake) 8537      " 

1852  (Lake) \.\\70\SIB     " 

A  considerable  portion  of  the  amount 
shipped  south  in  1849,  1850,  and  1851,  was 
purchased  in  Wisconsin,  where  Barlev  is  a 
more  important  staple  than  in  Illinois. 

"We  have  thus  given,  in  as  brief  a  space  as 
circumstances  would  permit,  a  statement  of 
the  receipts  and  shipments  of  flour  and  grain, 
during  the  past  year,  and  the  figures  show  a 
gratifying  result.  By  reducing  the  flour  to 
grain,  the  shipmants  show  a  total  of  5,800,000 
bushels.  This  is  a  higher  figure  by  over 
1,200,000  bushels  than  was  ever  before  reach- 
ed. In  1850,  our  total  shipments  only  amount- 
ed to  1,830,938  bushels.  But  however  grati- 
fying such  a  growth  of  our  commerce  maybe, 
it  is  universally  conceded  that  it  is  yet  in  its 
infancy,  and  that  it  is  destined  to  quadruple 
within  the  ensuing  five  or  six  years.  The  va- 
rious lines  of  railroad  which  open  nearly  ev- 
ery county  in  the  State  to  this  market,  and 
which  will  cause  millions  of  acres  of  our  fer- 
tile prairies,  now  unoccupied,  to  be  brought 
under  cultivation,  will  soon  pour  in  upon  us 
an  amount  of  produce  almost  beyond  our  con- 
ception. 

GRASS  SEEDS. 

Until  the  past  year  the  shipment  of  grass 


seed,  from  this  port,  we  believe,  was  not 
known.  But  the  purity  of  the  seed  grown 
on  our  Western  prairies,  and  its  adaptation  to 
the  soil  of  the  Eastern  States,  having  become 
known  to  Eastern  farmers,  their  agents  have 
been  in  our  market,  during  the  last  Fall  and 
Winter,  purchasing  all  they  could  get.  The 
price  opened  at  $1,76  per  bushel,  and  at  one 
time  reached  a  point  as  high  as  $2,37,  though 
$2,25  was  the  ruling  rate  during  the  shipping 
season.  The  exports  by  Lake,  for  the  year 
were  19,214  bushels. 

HOGS    AIVD    PORK. 

Since  our  farmers  commenced  a  more  gen- 
eral cultivation  of  corn,  the  Pork-packing 
business  of  Chicago  has  steadily  increased, 
and  now  promises  to  grow  to  an  extent  sec- 
ond in  importance  to  no  other  production. — 
As  our  city  posssesses  an  enviable  notoriety 
for  its  beef,  so  also  will  it  become  famous 
for  its  pork,  for  in  no  other  place  in  the  Uni- 
ted States  is  the  average  quality  of  the  hogs 
so  good.  In  all  of  the  states  south  of  us,  no 
inconsiderable  portion  of  the  Hogs  are  fatted 
by  mast,  which  gives  less  firmness  to  the  flesh 
and  lard  than  corn,  and  is  therefore  not  es- 
teemed as  valuable  as  that  fatted  with  this 
grain.  As  our  hogs,  with  very  few  excep- 
tions, are  made  ready  for  the  market  with 
corn  alone,  they  make  the  first  quality  of 
pork  and  lard. 

The  hog-packing  season  commences  in  No- 
vember, and  runs  through  the  winter.  Our 
Statistics  will,  therefore,  refer  to  the  season, 
and  not  to  the  -ialender  year. 

The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  number 
f  hogs  packed,  and  by  whom. : 


No.  Hogs.    Av.  Wt. 
G.  S.  Hubbard  13997          919V 

Total  Wt. 
2.974,362 
1  OvJl  424 

Felt  &  Beers  

..  7,016 

214 
240 
210^ 
190 
213 
210 
245 
220 
275 
180 
242 
219 
220 
185 

klarsh  &  Carpenter  
Reynolds  &  Hayward.. 
II.  M.  Hough  &  Co.... 
Geo.  Steele  . 

3,813 
3,615 
.    3,'iOO 
.    3,168 
2,800 
2  640 

..  .        '915*120 

760,957 
684,000 

H.  Maher  

588,000 

P.  Curtiss  &  Co. 

S.  B.  Pomeroy  &  Co  
C.  Follansbee.  .    .  . 

.  2*300 
1  000 

.......  .506,000 

F.  L.  Kent  

1  800 

324,000 
254,584 
201,!ilS 
55  000 

.1.  Creswell  
Thomas  Dyer  

..  1,052 

Nickerson  AWeir  
C.Walker  &  Son  

..      250 
..     183 

3°  000 

48.156 


S11X 


10,192,971 


This  does  not  show  the  entire  amount 
bought  by  packers  here.  About  11,000  were 
sent  forward  to  the  eastern  cities,  uncut  by 
packers,  previous  to  the  close  of  navigation 
on  Lake  Erie.  In  this  manner,  3,100  were 
forwarded  by  Walker  &  Son,  2,000  by  Marsh 
&  Carpenter,  1,500  by  Felt  &  Beers,  and  4,500 
by  other  parties. 

The  following  statement  of  the  number  of 


hogs  packed,  and  their  average  and  total 
weight  will  give  a  clear  view  of  the  business 
of  the  last  two  years: 

Hogs  cut.    Av.  weight.    To.  weight. 
1851-2                   ...22,036  238^  5,247,278 

1852-3! 48,156  211*  10,192,971 

The  advantages  of  the  Chicago  and  Galena 
Railroad  to  our  city,  have  been  manifest  in 
the  pork  business  during  the  past  season. — 
Pour-fifths  of  all  the  hogs  sold  here,  come  in 
on  that  thoroughfare — a  large  proportion  of 
them  from  Rock  river,  and  many  of  them 
from  Iowa.  Had  the  weather  been  favorable 
to  hauling  during  the  winter,  it  is  thought  we 
would  have  received  from  the  latter  State 
over  '20,000.  It  is  not  unfair  to  suppose  that 
if  the  farmers  ot  Iowa  can  afford  to  carry 
their  pork,  in  wagons,  from  80  to  150  miles 
to  reach  our  market,  they  will  send  all  their 
surplus  here  when  the  railroad  shall  be  com- 
pleted to  the  Mississippi  river. 

As  great  as  the  increase  has  been  during 
the  last  year,  we  think  it  will  be  equally  as 
large  for  each  of  the  two  next  years,  as  our 
city  will  by  that  time  be  brought  into  com- 
munication by  railroad  with  some  of  the  most 
productive  corn  regions  in  the  "West.  Iowa, 
alone,  we  doubt  not,  will  furnish  a  larger 
amount  than  our  entire  receipts  the  past 
year,  while  the  counties  south  and  southwest 
will  pour  in  upon  us  large  numbers. 

The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  number 
of  hogs  received  here  during  the  past  season, 
and  the  sources  from  which  they  came : 

Canal.       Teams-     Lake.       Railroad.       Total. 
413  12,500        900  51,845  65,158 

Which  were  disposed  of  as  follows: 

Packed...  48,156 

Shipped  East,  uncut 11,000 

Sold  at  retail 7,002 

The  prices  of  Mess  Pork,  Shoulders,  and 
Hams,  during  the  last  year,  steadily  advanced 
from  February  to  October,  when  they  reached 
the  maximum,  and  receded.  The  home  de- 
mand being  much  larger  than  was  anticipated 
by  packers,  the  stock  of  hams  and  shoulders 
was  exhausted  before  the  first  of  October. — 
Mess  Pork,  also,  was  reduced  to  but  little  over 
100  barrels,  and,  we  think,  was  entirely  ex- 
hausted when  the  pork  season  opened.  We 
subjoin  a  statement  of  the  price  of  Mess  on 
the  first  of  each  month  during  the  year : 

January....  . . .  .*13.00@14.00 

February 12.00®13.00 

March... 13.00@13.50 

April 14.00@14.50 

May  14.00@14.50 

June"  14.00@14.50 

July     .  16.00@17.00 

August 18.00@19.00 

September 18.00@18.75 

October 20.00® 

November 1900® 

December 16.00©16.50 


The  immense  fertile  prairies  that  lie  to 
the  west  and  south  of  Chicago,  covered  with 
the  most  nutritious  grasses,  where  in  nu- 
meral, Le  herds  of  cattle  can  graze  with  scarce- 
ly any  expense  to  the  owner,  naturally  point 
to  Chicago  as  likely  to  become  distinguished 
for  extensive  BEEF  PACKING.  The  packing 
closes  in  December.  We  prepared  an  article 
at  that  time,  the  main  facts  of  which  we 
republish  as  appropriate  to  this  review.  In 
the  article  of  BEEF  we  think  it  will  be  con- 
ceded that  Chicago  now  stands  pre-eminent. 
There  is  no  city  in  the  Union  that  pretends 
to  compete  with  us.  Not  only  are  we  dis- 
tinguished for  the  amount  of  beef  packed  in 
this  city,  but  more  especially  for  its  excellent 
quality.  CHICAGO  MESS  will  command  in 
eastern  markets  from  one  to  two  dollars  per 
barrel  more  than  any  other;  and  from  two 
to  six  dollars  more  than  that  packed  in  many 
other  States. 

Owing  to  the  great  demand  for  beef  cattle 
in  eastern  cities,  and  the  high  prices  they 
have  borne  during  the  season,  large  number* 
have  been  shipped  alive,  and,  therefore,  the 
increase  of  this  business  for  the  present  year 
is  smaller  than  it  otherwise  would  have 
been.  We  have  taken  pains  to  procure  the 
exact  number  of  cattle  slaughtered  by  our 
packers,  during  the  year  1852,  and  they  foot 
up  as  follows: 

Thos.Dyer 3,714 

Sylvester  Marsh 2,372 

R.M.  Hough  &  Co 5.600 

G.  S.  Hubbard 4,896 

Reynolds  &  Hayward '••*&& 

P.  L.  Kent 2,413 

O.H-  Tobey 1.794 

Joel  Ellis  &  Co 600 


Total. 


To  these  add  300  more  that  two  of  our 
houses  slaughtered  during  the  month  of 
December,  and  the  total  number  for  the 
year,  will  be  24,663.  The  number  was  last 
year  21,806  making  the  increase  for  the  pre- 
sent year,  only  2,857.  Probably  the  number 
would  have  amounted  to  at  least  30,000,  had 
it  not  been  for  the  large  shipments  that 
have  been  made  of  live  cattle  to  eastern 
markets. 

The  number  of  barrels  of  beef  packed  as 
taken  from  the  books  of  the  several  estab- 
lishments, is  46,395.  Of  this  number  43,965 
barrels  have  been  shipped  to  Boston,  New 
York  and  New  Bedford.  This  is  the  amount 
reduced  to  barrels  ;  but  nearly  three  thou- 
sand tierces  have  been  packed  by  Messrs. 
Dyer  and  Hough  &  Co.,  for  the  London  mar- 
ket. There  were  Dec.  12th,  in  the  hands 


8 


of  the  different  packers  about  1,676  barrels, 
and  they  had  sold  to  dealers  in  this  city 
764  barrels,  most  of  which  it  is  probable 
found  its  way  to  the  lumber  districts .  that 
draw  their  supplies  from  Chicago. 

The  average  weight  of  the  cattle  slaught- 
ered and  the  number  of  pounds  of  beef  pack- 
ed were  as  follows: 

Reynolds  &  Haywood,.. averaging  SOOfts    ..1,487,000 
J.  Ellis  &  Co., 


O.  H.  Toby. 
.  L.  Kent, 
.  S.  Hubbard, 
.  M.  Hough  &  Co., 
rlvester  Marsh, 
liomas  Dyer, 


500 

521 

550 

534>! 

580 

550}« 


300,000 
..  934,674 
..1,327,150 
..2.616,912 
..3,248,000 
.  .1.305,786 


Total 13,457,207 

The  tallow  was  variously  disposed  of.  A 
large  part  was  sold  in  the  rough  to  the  differ- 
ent candle  manufactories  in  the  city.  The  re- 
mainder was  rendered  and  shipped  to  New 
York,  Boston  and  Canada.  We  have  not  the 
precise  statement  of  the  amount,  but  estima- 
ting 60  Ibs.  as  the  average  for  each  animal, 
we  have  1,461,780  Ibs. 

The  hides  to  a  great  extent  were  purchased 
by  Messrs.  Gurnee  &  Yoe  of  this  city.  They 
made  large  shipments  east,  and  will  manufac- 
ture the  remainder  into  leather  at  their  ex- 
tensive tanning  establishment.  Several  lots 
were  sold  to  dealers  and  leather  manufac- 
turers in  Buffalo.  The  precise  weight  of  the 
hides  we  cannot  ascertain ;  but  after  com- 
paring the  figures  furnished  us  by  the  differ- 
ent packers,  we  are  inclined  to  think  80  Ibs. 
rather  below  the  average  for  each.  Allowing 
this  to  be  correct,  it  would  give  us  1,940,040 
Ibs. 

The  barrels  used  were  manufactured  in 
this  cit}%  Michigan,  Indiana,  and  Wisconsin. 
They  cost  from  90  cents  to  $1  25.  During 
the  latter  part  of  the  packing  season  they  be- 
came scarce  and  commanded  the  higher  fig- 
ures. The  average  cost  is  about  $1  00. 

The  number  of  men  employed  in  this  busi- 
ness is  between  four  and  five  hundred,  at  an 
average  cost  of  $1  50  per  day.  The  prices 
paid  for  cattle  were  $3  60a$4  50.  The  ru- 
ling average  rate  was  about  $4a$4  12. 

We  cannot  of  course  make  an  exact  state- 
ment of  the  value  of  the  beef  packed  in  this 
City ;  but  from  the  data  already  before  us, 
we  can  make  an  estimate  that  will  be  suffi- 
ciently accurate  to  give  some  idea  of  its  im- 
portance. We  have  inquired  of  some  of  our 
largest  packers,  and  they  think  the  average 
value  of  the  beef  this  season  is  $9  per  barrel. 
The  tallow  is  worth  at  least  9£  cents.  The 
hides,  from  the  statements  before  us,  are 


worth  at  a  fair  average,  4-J-  cents  per  pound ; 
and  the  offal  from  each  animal,  consisting  of 
horns,  heads,  <fec.,  55  cents.  We  have  there- 
fore the  following  summary : 

46,395  bbls.  Beef  at  $9 $417,555 

1,461.780  Ibs.  Tallow  at  9X 138,869 

1,949,040  "  Hid.s  "  4%c 80,798 

24,363  Cattle,  offal  "55c 13,399 

Total $650,621 

Commencing  with  the  packing  season,  the 
price  of  cattle  at  th<s  commencement  of  each 
month,  until  the  close  of  the  year,  was  as  fol- 
lows: 

1851.  1852. 

September $3,00@3,75  *3.50@4,25 

October 8,00@4,00  4,00@4,75 

November 3.00@3'50  4,00@4,75 

December 3,00@3,75  3,75@4,50 

These  figures  show  that  prices  have  ruled 
at  a  high  figure  during  the  past  season.  In 
some  instances  $5.00a$5. 50  were  paid  for  cat- 
tle to  ship  East.  Stock  growers  have  eveiy 
reason  to  be  satisfied  with  last  year's  prices. 

The  beef-packing  business,  it  must  be  re- 
membered, has  all  grown  up  within  the  last 
six  or  eight  .years.  We  are  not  yel  able  to 
form  a  correct  judgment  as  to  what  effect  the 
opening  of  our  Railroads  to  the  sea  board, 
and,  therefore,  the  greater  facilities  that  we 
are  soon  to  have  to  ship  live  stock  to  Eastern 
markets,  is  to  have  upon  the  packing  business 
in  our  City;  but  we  are  entirely  certain  that 
our  rich  prairies  have  only  commenced  to 
yield  us  their  rich  treasures.  A  very  few 
years  will  increase  their  production  a  hun- 
dred fold ;  and  if  our  beef  has  already  re- 
ceived the  highest  place  in  the  markets  of 
the  civilized  world,  we  may  justly  anticipate 
the  commercial  position  that  our  City  will  oc- 
cupy in  a  very  few  years,  with  feelings  of 
honest  pride,  When  contemplating  such 
facts  in  regard  to  the  growth  and  prosperity 
of  our  City,  we  always  feel  like  going  back  to 
the  time  when  Chicago  was  '•  no  where." — 
She  is  still  in  her  "  teens,"  not  having  arrived 
at  the  full  age  of  even  twenty  years.  Long 
since  that  period,  every  barrel  of  beef  and  al- 
most every  other  article  of  food  was  imported 
from  New  York  and  Ohio. 

LARD. 

The  shipments  of  this   article   correspond 
with  those  of  Pork,  and  the  causes  which  af- 
fect one  equally  affect  the  other. 
BUTTER. 

The  butter  trade  has  increased  in  a  remark- 
able degree,  during  the  past  year,  as  will  be 
seen  by  our  statements  of  imports  and  ex- 
ports, below.  The  dairy  business  has  not 
been  carried  on  to  any  extent,  in  Illinois,  pre- 
vious to  last  year,  notwithstanding  the  adap- 


tation  of  our  prairies  to  the  business.  But 
the  high  prices  which  ruled  during  several 
months,  of  1852,  appeared  to  give  it  an  ex- 
traordinary stimulus,  and  to  call  out  an 
amount  entirely  beyond  the  supposed  ability 
of  the  country  to  produce  in  so  short  a  pe- 
riod. 

The  following  shows  the  receipts  by  lake, 
canal  and  railroad,  during  the  years  1851  and 
1852: 


1851  fts 


Lake. 


Canal 


Railroad.          Total. 
334,523  372.216 

958,700  1,327,100 


The  shipments,  during  the  same  time  were : 

Lake.          Canal.  Total. 

1851  Ibs.  70.824          75,117  145.941 

1852  "  .         906,200  9,000  915,200 

WOOL. 

This  staple  has  increased  largely  within  the 
last  13  years,  as  shown  by  our  table  of  ship- 
ments below.  During  the  past  year,  howev- 
er, there  appears  to  have  been  a  small  de- 
cline compared  with  the  previous  one.  The 
market  opened  late,  and  in  a  depressed  con- 
dition, resulting  from  the  declared  combina- 
tion of  manufacturers  not  to  pay  above  cer- 
tain specified  rates.  Nevertheless,  competi- 
tors appeared,  the  combination  was  broken 
up,  and  prices  advanced  rapidly  after  the  first 
two  weeks.  The  following  shows  the  ruling 
rates  during  the  season — the  range  being  for 
the  lowest  to  the  best  qualities ;  also  for  the 
same  months  in  1851 : 

1852  1851 

June 18@29 ! 

July ., 25@36 

August 25@37>£ 

The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  ship- 
ments for  eleven  years,  ending  in  1852. 

1842 tts.... 1,500  1848 fts.. 500,000 

1843 "...22.050  1849 "..520,242 

1844 "...96,635  1850 "..913,862 

1845 "  ..216,616  1851 "1,088,553 

1846 "..281,222  1852 "..920.113 

1847 "..411.888 

LUMBER. 

LUMBER  forms  one  of  the  most  important 
elements  of  our  commercial  prosperity.  The 
position  of  Chicago  gives  her  the  control  of 
an  extensive  and  lucrative  lumber  trade. — 
Owing  to  the  rapid  settlement  of  the  country 
to  the  south  and  west  of  us  for  the  past  few 
years,  the  amount  of  lumber  brought  to  this 
market  has  very  rapidly  increased,  as  a  com- 
parative statement  of  the  receipts  will  show- 
The  impression  very  generally  prevails,  that 
there  was  a  falling  off  in  the  receipts  for  the 
past  year;  but  the  figures  show  a  very  differ- 
ent result.  We  have  carefully  preserved  all 
the  statements  furnished  us  by  our  dealers, 
and  the  exact  footings  are  given  below.  The 
impression  above  referred  to,  has  undoubted- 
ly arisen  from  the  greatly  increased  demand 


in  this  markel  for  the  past  year,  and  the  ina- 
bility of  our  merchants  to  meet  it. 

The  large  number  of  railroads  now  center- 
ing in  this  city  will  greatly  augment  this  bus- 
iness. To  the  south  and  west  of  us  there  is 
no  pine  lumber,  and  only  a  limited  supply  of 
of  oak  and  other  kinds  of  timber,  that  can 
measurably  be  use  1  in  the  place  of  pine.  That 
whole  region  looks  to  Chicago  for  its  supply 
of  this  important  article,  and  no  other  city 
can  compete  with  us  for  this  trade.  Within 
the  next  three  years  more  than  two  thousand 
miles  of  railroad  will  be  opened  to  this  city, 
and  the  people  who  dwell  upon  the  immense 
fertile  prairies  through  which  they  will  pass, 
will  all  look  to  Chicago  for  their  building  ma- 
terials. In  view  of  this  increase  of  trade  our 
lumber  merchants  are  making  every  exertion 
to  meet  the  demands  that  will  be  made  upon 
them.  Much  larger  contracts  have  been  en- 
tered into  for  the  delivery  of  lumber  within 
the  next  six  months  than  were  ever  to  be  ful- 
filed  before  within  the  same  period.  New 
mills  have  been  put  in  requisition,  and  all 
will  be  taxed  to  their  utmost  capacity.  The 
increase  in  the  trade  for  the  next  year  is  esti- 
mated by  our  best  informed  dealers,  at  more 
than  a  hundred  millions.  All  this  will  un- 
doubtedly be  required  by  the  increasing  pop- 
ulation of  our  city  and  the  rich  country,  whose 
trade  is  and  will  be  brought  here  by  the  ca- 
nal and  the  railroads  now  built  and  in  pro- 
gress of  construction. 

A  comparative  statement  of  the  amount  of 
lumber,  shingles  and  lath  received  at  this  port 
for  the  past  six  years,  gives  the  following  re- 
sult: 

Lumber.          Shingles.  Lath. 

1947...  ,...32,118,225          12.148,500  5,655,700 


184* 60,009,250 

1849 73,259,553 

1850 100,364,779 

1851 125,056,437 

1852 147,816,232 


20.050,000  10.025,109 

39,057,750  19.281,733 

55,423,750  19,809,700 

60,338,250  27,583,475 

77,080,500  19,759,670 


This  shows  an  increase  during  the  last  over 
the  previous  year  of  22,759,795  ft.  lumber, 
16,742,250  shingles,  and  a  decrease  of  7,823,- 
806  lath.  There  were  on  hand  on  the  first  of 
January,  1853 — 19,759,970  feet  of  lumber, 
5,190,750  shingles  and  639,950  lath.  Of  this 
amount  a  large  part  was  sold  before  the  close 
of  last  season,  but  low  water  pre- 
vented its  shipment..  WM  have  not 
taken  very  great  pains  to  inquire  outside 
of  our  regular  lumber  dealers,  as  to  the  num- 
ber of  posts  brought  to  this  market:  but  they 
have  given  us  199,221  as  the  sum  of  their  im- 
ports. 

The  incidental  advantages  of  the  Lumber 


10 


business  to  our  city,  are  varied  ana  expensive 
It  affords  a  market  for  a  large  amount  of  our 
surplus  products,  at  a  much  better  profit  than 
shipments  East  will  afford.     Pork,  beef,  flour, 
coarse  grain  of  all  kinds,  groceries  and  pro- 
visions of  every  description,  are  shipped  in 
large  quantities  to  the  lumber  regions.     The 
carrying   trade   furnishes   employment   to  a 
great  many  vessels,  and  business  for  hundreds 
and  thousands  of  laboring  men. 
This  trade  is  in  the  hands  of  far-seeing,  in- 
telligent merchants,  who  know  its  importance 
to  our  city,  and  most  of  them  are  reaping  a 
rich  reward  for  their  energy  and  enterprise. 
The  following  table   shows  the  amount  of 
shipments  and  receipts  by  Lake,  Canal  and 
Railroad. 
SHIPMENTS. 
Lake.    Canal.    G.  &  C.  R.     Total. 

Nails  &  Spikes,  tons,      U 

'374       
22         

385 
22 
2,030,317 
343 
9,976 
640 
193,709 

1,200 
17,463 
20 
4,308 
17,315 
479 
15,019 
111,300 
27 
426 
53,964 

'  10 
1 
2 

12,853 

768,871 
34,559 
25,349 
2,200 

55,851,038 

845 
127 
59 
5,017 
100.001 
30 
3,792 
636,003 
647 
920.113 
170 
1,597 
206 
7,640 
19 

R.  Total. 
22 
21,319 
230 
72 
1,189 
2,«46 
361.200 
13,271 
100,715 
13 
460 
147 
89 
5,740 
201,500 

7,827 
2,482,791 
60,524 
240 
1.820 
1.025 
46,233 
420 
199.221 
615 

i 

245 
41 

2,653 
594 
58 
450 

1 

109 

'"4 
5,251 
49,019 
159,918 
300 
11,200 
63.984 
4,909 

i&S! 

9,05, 

20.781 
71 

Oats,  bu  2.030  317 

Oils,  bbls  173 

170 

Pork  bbls                  9  938 

38 

"    tcs  '640 
Powder,  Ibs  2,370 
Potatoes,  bu  2,514 

191,339           
386 

78 

Potter's  ware,  Ibs  
Posts.No  

1,200       
16,350            1,113 
20 

Peas,  bu  

4308 

Rye,  bu  17,015 

300       

Reapers,  No  479 
Rice,  Ibs  
Saleratus,lbs....       1,360 
Soap,  kegs  20 
Skins,  b'dles  426 
Salt,  bbls  4,259 
"    sacks,  
Sheep,  No  10 
Shingle  Machines,         1 
Steam  Engines,               2 
Seeds,  Ibs  12,853 
Sugar,  "    

15,019       
110,000 

7       

27,457           22,248 
402,746       

768,871        
34,559       
25  349       

Steel.    "    

Sand     " 

2,200           

Starch  " 

1,137 

747       

Sundries,  pkgs,..     2,078 
tons 

""59 

,920,538    13,930,500 

Shingles,  No    41 

Stone,  c.  yds   

Agricu'l  Impl.  tons,  274       274 
Ale,  bbls  50               93                                 143 

Tallow,  bbls  871 
Tobacco,  hhds..         127 

14       

Barley.bu  70,818             508       71,326 
Beef,  bbls  49,856            175       50,031 
"     tcs  1,546         1,546 
Butter,pkgs  9,062              90       9,152 
Beeswax,  casks  3           

Turpentine,  Ibs,     
Timber,  c.  ft  
Vinegar,  bbls...          30 
Varnish,  Ibs  

59       
5.017        
100,001        

3,792       

Brooms,  doz  270          1,040       1,310 
Brick,  No  49,000       194,900       243,900 
Barrels,  No,  136         1,920       ,          2,056 

Whiskey  'bbls...       647 
Wool,  Ibs  920.113 
Water  Lime.  bbls.       95 
Woodenware,  Ibs  

75        
1,597        
206              .... 

Bark  Mills,  No  3         3 
Boilers,         "   2        2 

White  Lead,  Ibs  

7,640       
10 

Bacon,  fts  5,357       5,357 
Bran     "     .                                  2,106                              2,106 

RECEIPTS. 

Lake.    Canal.  G  &  C  UR 
Ashes  tons                  22       -          

Bark,  tons...,                                 329                                 329 

Cider  bbls                                       37                                 37 

Corn,  bu  2,737,011        2,737.011 

Candles,  boxes  1,300        1,300 

Apples    bbls            21  318 

Cattle  No                       77                                                  77 

\le  bbls                      209 

21        

72 

Castings   pcs                  41                                                 41 

Agric'l  Impl'ts,  tons  
Beef  bbls                      11 

Corn  Meal  bbls             350                                                  350 

1  178 

Coffee,  tts  197,182       197,182 
Cheese  "                                  51  238                            51  238 

Bark   cords         ....2,646 

Brick,  no                 361  200 

Carpet,  work,  tons,    53       53 

Butter,  pkgs    866 

2,818             9,587 
8,785           90,248 

Clocks,  Ibs                                53,286       53  286 

Barley,  bu  1,687 
Beer  Bottles  hhds       13 

Coal,  tons  196             1,245           1,441 

Crackers,  Ibs  1,227       1,227 
Crockery,  tons  122        122 

Baskets,  No  460 



Eggs,  bbls  723         723 

89       
5  740        

Flour,    "    61,196           2,901        62,097 

Buckwheat,  bu  

Fish.     "   464           3,106       3,570 

201,500       

Flax  Seed,  bbls  408      .                                           408 

Beeswax,  fts  
Broom  Corn,  tons      .... 

48  457         

Flax,  bdls...                  18      .                                            18 

184       
7,827        
671,%1        
60,524       
240 

Fruit,  fts  36,200       583,070                           619,270 

Furs,pkg?  269      269 

Corn,  bu  1,810,830 

Grind  Stones  tons                          89                                 89 

Gunny  Bags  bales        18                                                  18 

Charcoal,  bu  
Clocks,  tts  

Ginseng             „             4      4 

1,320       

Groceries,  pkgs....  4,076      4,076 
Highwines,  bbls,...  13  374           2,868         .                   16242 

Candles,  bxs  941 

84       
3,310       

Hams,  No  128               67        .                         1% 

Cider   bbls                  420 

Hams  &  Shou'ds.cks  5,560      5,560 

Cedar  Pests,  No..  199,221 

Horses  "                         17                                                  17 

Chairs,  No  615 

Hemp,  b?les     ..         4140                                                4140 

Chair  Stuflfc    rolls       497 

Hardware,  pk°r-  9,123      9,123 
tons....       79      79 

Hay                "    578      578 

Castings,  pcs  2,653 
Car  Wheels,  No  594 
Do             tons  58 
Car  Axle*  No             450 



Hogs,  No  4,508      4508 

Hair,  Ibs  53,426       ....                53*426 

Hops   "                                        23149                            23i4q 

Iron  tons  69             426            1968          2*463 

rio-0                                        O 

**    R.  R.  tons  9,647        .                       9  647    v^*,,  KK'IO 

99        
6,800       

''    tools,  Ibs..  ..                         1,453                              1*453 

Empty  Barrels  2,773 
Engines  &  Boil's  No     4 

Leather,      "    99,291       354,386       453677 

Fish  bbl/             '      5  249 

2            

Lard,  bbls  &  kegs..     4,638         4638 

Flour,  bbls  2,857 
Furniture,  fts  20,700 

1,846           44,316 
139,218       

Lime  bbls                    1  605        1  605 

Lumber,  feet  49,095,181     21,645.090  70,  740^271 

11,200       
63,984       

Lath,  pieces  10,659,245      4,589,200  15,24-8,445 

Fruit.fts  

Mdz.  pkgs  4,450         4,450 
»     tb-T          14,359,504     34,061,60048420164 

Do  bxs  4,909 
Feathers,  tts  
Furs  and  Pelts  
Grindstones,  No...  9,051 

80*804 

Marble  tons    '                                277                                27" 

Mill  Atones  'tons                              22            .                      22 

Glass,  bxs  20,781 
Glassware,  casks  71 

Malt.                "                              51       ....                    21 

11 


Grease,  Bs  
Hogs,  live.  No  280 

71,396 



71,396 
280 
10,968.310 
4,796 
662 
2,119 
16,000 
436,510 
29 
200 
1,294,1530 
4,223 
4.878 
871,028 
180 
45,660 
1,446 
11.227 
81,995 
3,496 
148,652.274 
19,859,670 
16 
5,457 
364 
1,357,327 
292 
1,390 
660 
121 
67,793 
305,696 
4,650 
1496 
1 
4,250 

ffi 

746,564 
83,728 
10,685 
750 
978 
1,508,644 
189 
999 
30.610 
15,907 
1,937.237 
52,000 
732 
3,270 
39,772 
6,232 
500 
617 
57,830  • 
6,089 
60.223 
2.374 
257 
6,470 
1,239 
77,080,500 
1,258,302 
24,000 

M« 

2,750 
1.053 
35,649 
91,674 
185 
198 
387 
2,324 
1,500 
1450 
368 

«»a 

253 
42 
600 
907 
981 
151 
309 
1,604 
735 
184 
247 
617 
127 
112 
105 
19,640 
491 
3,7(58 
9,443 
74.723 
1,690,650 

742,844 
6,532 
1,125 
432 

Whisky,  bbls....   1,783       5,658             7,441 
Wheel  Barrows,       865        865 
Wagon    Hubbs     4  286                                                  4  2H6 

Do    dressed,  Bs      
Hollow  ware,  galls.  4,796 
Do          ions,.  ,.0f)2 

86,800 

10,881,510 

Wood,  cds  22,319           28,322               859            5l'.500 
Woodenware   ps  1  160                                                  1  160 

Hard  ware,  pkgs  2.119 

"          tons    *23                                                    *23 

Hoops,  No  16,000 
Do      Bs  

Wagons  No               46                 56                                     10° 

436,510 

Wool    Bs                               525632         244662           7702^4 

Horses,  No  29 

White  Lead.  Bs    ....         138,712        138,712 

CITY   IMPROVEMENTS. 

Our  time  and  limits  will  not  permit  us  to 
enter   into   a  detailed   statement  of  the  im- 
provements made  for  the  past  year.     Suffice 
it  to  say,  that  more  progress  has  been  made 
than  at  any  former  period.     Elegant  residen- 
ces have  been  built  in  all  parts  of  the  city, 
splendid  blocks  of  stores  have  been  erected 
on  our  principal  streets,  and  the  limits  of  the 
inhabited  part  of  the  city  have  been  greatly 
extended. 
On  the  20th  of  Febuary,  1852,  the  Michi- 
gan Southern  Railroad  was  opened   to  this 
city.     The  Depot  is   located   near   Gurnee's 
Tannery,  on  the   South  Branch.     The   Rock 
Island  Railroad  have  built  their  Depot  direct- 
ly opposite.     A  year  since,  there  were  only 
a  few  old  buildings  in  that  neighborhood,  and 
it  was  considered  far    "  out  of  town."     Now 
nearly  the   whole  of  Clark  street  is  built  up 
as  far  south  as  the  depot,  and  there  has  an  im- 
portant addition  been  made  to  the  city  where, 
a  year  since,  it  was  open  prairie. 
The  Michigan  Central  Railroad  was  opened 
to   Chicago  on   Friday,   May  21st.     Grounds 
for  the  depot  were  leased  a  short  distance  be- 
low Twelfth  street,  on  the  Lake  shore.     The 
buildings  are  temporary,    as  it  is  intended  to 
establish  the  depot  for  this  road  and  the  Illi- 
nois Central,  between  the  fopt  of  Randolph 
street  and  the  south  pier.     Hence  no  perma- 
nent buildings  have  been  put  up  where  the 
depot  now  stands,  and  no  very  considerable 
addition  has  been  made  to  the   city  in  that 
vicinity. 
In  the  summer  season,  both  these  lines  fur- 
nish a  direct  steam  communication  with  the 
cities  on  the  seaboard.    About  the  1st  of  Jan- 
uary  last,   all   the   railroad   lines  along  the 
south  shore   of  Lake  Erie  were  completed, 
and  these,  with  the   Erie  Railroad  and  the 
Michigan  Southern,  give  us  a  direct  railrc 
line  to   New  York.     This  has  formed  an  era 
in  the  history  of  Chicago,  which  will  always 
be  regarded  with  interest.     Our  merchants 
who,  in  the  depth  of  winter,  were  obliged  to 
consume  some  two  weeks  in  staging  through 
Canada  mud  "up  to  the  hub,"  in  order  to  pur- 
chase their  goods  for  the  spring  trade,  can 
now  go  through,  and   enjoy  the  luxury  of  a 
comfortable  railroad  car,  in  two  days.    In  the 

Hf  Bushels.  No    .       200 

Hides,  Bs  11,000 
Hams,  Bs  

887,318 
4.223 
4,878 
871,028 
180 
5,100 

390,312 

Hops,  Ibs  

Hemp,  Bs  

Hay,  tons  
Iron,  bdls&brs....  40,560 
do  tons  1,446 

do  RR,  tons....  11,227 

do    do     bars....  81,995 
do  pig,  tons  3,495 
Lumber,  ft....  147,816,232 
Lath,  pcs  19.759.670 
Locomotives.  No          16 

"76,148 
1,000 

'  759,894 

Lead,  kegs  5147 

do     rolls  364 

do     Bs  

642,027 
232 
625 

'   715,366 

Lead  Pipe,  tons  60 

do    pkgs  660 

Liquor,  casks  121 

Mdse.pkgs  305,696 
do    tons  ..4,446 

67,793 

204 
846 

Malt,  bu  650 

Mills,  No  1 

Marble,  pcs  4.250 

do       tons  374 

Mahogany,  pcs  Ill 

Molasses,  Bs  
Meal    B<* 

746,564 
83,728 

Nails,  kegs  10,685 
Nuts   Ibs 

750 
140 
833,703 

Oils,  bbls              .       838 

674,941 

Powder,  tons  189 

Plaster,  bbls  999 

Potatoes,  bu  6,772 
Paper,  reams  3100 

17,552 

6,286 
12,807 
1,836,084 

Provisions,  tts  3.300 
Pickets,  No  52,000 

97,853 

Pumps,  No  782 

Pork  bb's                    %0 

2,310 



Pails,  No  39,772 
Potters'  Ware,  fts    .... 
Posts    No 

6,232 
500 
617 
57  830 

Rye  bu             .  . 

Rice  fts 

6,089 

R.  R.  Ties,  No....  60,232 
"    Chairs,  bdls     2,374 
"       bbls        257 
"         "      Bs..     6.470 
Rosin,  bbls  1,239 
Shingles,  No..  77,080,500 
Staves,  No  1,258,302 
Spokes.  No  24,000 
Spiles    No                f322 



Spars    No                    98 

Stone,  PCS  2,750 
tons          .    1,053 

35,649 

Salt,  bbls  91,674 
"    tons  185 

Spikes,  tons  198 
Stoves,  tons  386 
"        No  2,324 
Stone  Pipe,  pea..    1,500 
Saleratus,  pks...    1,450 
Stucco   bbls               368 

1 



!!!".!!! 

Skins,  'No  8 
Soap,  Bs  600 
Sofas  No              .44 

'  112,148 



Safes    No                    42 

Starch,  boxes.,..       600 
Sundries,  bbls...       907 
tons  
Shot    tons                     5 

i4(> 

309 
1.604 

981 

Seeds,  tons  

735 

184 
222 

Spts,  not  whisky  bbls, 
Tobacco,  tons...         27 
"       boxes...        617 
Tin,  pigs  127 
"    tons                     112 

"    boxes  105 
Tinware,  galls,..  19640 
Tar.  bbls  491 
Tubs     No        ...     3,71)8 

Trees    No               2  ^72 

6,471 
74,723 
87,400 

TalJow.  Bs  
Lumber,  ft....  1,603,250 



Wheat,  bu  129,2:>l 
Water  Lime,  bbls  6,532 
"    Pipe,  tns..    1,1?5 
"       "     DCS...       432 

108,597 

504,996 



12 


course  of  the  year,  the  Canada  Railroad,  con- 
necting Detroit  with  Buffalo,  will  be  finished 
— when  we  shall  have  a  choice  of  routes  to 
the  east,  at  all  seasons;  and  within  two  or 
three  years,  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Logansport 
Railroads  will  open  two  other  routes. 

MANUFACTORIES. 

During  the  past  few  months,  two  extensive 
car  manufacturing  establishments  have  been 
put  in  active  operation.  One  is  located  near 
the  Rock  Island  Depot,  and  is  owned  by  two 
distinct  companies.  G.  W.  Sizer  &  Co.  cast 
the  wheels  and  do  all  the  iron  work  connect- 
ed with  the  manufacture  of  cars.  They  have 
a  large  establishment  and  are  doing  a  heavy 
business.  They  are  now  using  eight  tons  of 
iron  per  day,  brought  mostly  from  Ohio  and 
New  York.  A.  B.  Stone  &  Co.  do  the  wood 
work  and  the  upholstery  and  finishing  of  the 
cars.  The  two  companies  are  building  ten 
cars  per  week,  and  employ  nearly  two  hun- 
dred men.  The  buildings  were  commenced 
on  the  22d  of  last  September,  and  in  the  short 
space  of  six  months  the  whole  establisnment 
has  been  built  and  put  in  active  operation. 

The  AMERICAN  CAR  COMPANY  have  erected 
their  works  about  half  a  mile  north  of  Myr- 
ick's  on  the  lake  shore,  and  will  have,  when 
completed  in  all  respects,  one  of  the  most 
perfectly  appointed  manufactories  that  can 
be  found  in  the  western  states.  They  have 
in  their  enclosure  thirteen  acres.  The  build- 
ings now  completed  have  an  aggregate  length 
of  1250  by  an  average  width  of  60  feet.  The 
capital  of  the  Company  is  $200,000,  and  they 
have  already  expended  some  $130,000.  Three 
thousand  five  hundred  tons  of  pig  iron  are 
used  per  year,  in  the  manufacture  of  car 
wheels  and  the  other  car  castings,  and  2,000 
tons  of  coal  are  consumed.  The  buildings 
were  commenced  in  August  last,  and  at  that 
time  much  of  the  timber  used  in  the  build- 
ings was  growing  in  the  forests  of  Michigan 
and  Illinois.  The  company  have  already 
completed  74  freight,  and  ten  elegant  pas- 
senger cars.  When  all  their  arrangements 
are  perfected,  they  intend  to  finish  three 
freight  cars  per  day  and  a  passenger  carper 
week. 

The  completion  of  these  extensive  manu- 
factories in  the  short  space  of  a  few  months 
is  a  fair  specimen  of  western  enterprise.  At 
the  West,  whatever  we  take  hold  of,  "is 
hound  to  go  ahead"  not  at  an  oldfoyy  pace, 
but  with  railroad  speed. 


In  addition  to  these  car  manufactories,  we 
learn  that  Messrs.  Stevens,  of  Concord,  N  H., 
are  about  to  establish  an  extensive  locomo- 
tive manufactory.  This  is  much  needed,  and 
will  do,  if  properly  managed,  an  immense 
business.  Two  factories,  if  now  completed, 
would  have  all  they  could  do  to  fill  the  orders 
for  railroads  now  built  and  in  process  of  con- 
struction. So  far  as  we  can  learn,  the  site 
for  the  factory  is  not  definitely  determined. 

THE  NEW  HYDRAULIC  WORKS  are  progressing 
as  fast  as  circumstances  will  permit.  Nearly 
nine  miles  of  the  main  pipes  were  laid  last 
fall,  the  well  is  completed,  and  we  may  hope 
in  a  few  months  to  have  an  abundant  supply 
of  pure  water  in  all  parts  of  the  city.  This 
will  add  immensely  to  the  health  and  com- 
fort of  our  citizens.  The  amount  expended 
on  the  different  contracts  up  to  January  3d 
was  $154,061.88.  The  amount  necessary  to 
complete  the  work  according  to  estimate  of 
the  Chief  Engineer,  W.  J.  McAlpine,  Esq.,  is 
$207,162.77.  This  has  all  been  provided  for 
on  terms  very  favorable  to  the  city. 

REAPERS. 

One  of  the  most  extensive  establishments 
in  the  city  is  that  for  the  manufacture  of  Mc- 
Cormick's  Reapers.  This  factory  employs  a 
large  number  of  hands,  and  in  various  ways 
adds  to  the  prosperity  of  our  citizens.  Mr. 
McCormick  manufactured  during  the  last 
year,  1600  reapers,  and  reapers  and  mowers 
combined.  The  amount  realized  at  an  aver- 
age of  $140  each,  would  be  $224,000. 

During  the  past  season,  John  S.  Wright, 
Esq.  has  put  in  operation  an  extensive  factory 
for  the  manufacture  of  Hussey's  Reapers,  At- 
kin's  Automaton  Reapers,  and  other  agricul- 
tural implements.  Mr.  Wright  has  in  process 
of  construction  45  Hussey's  Reapers,  65  At- 
kin's  Automaton  Reapers,  25  seed-drills,  100 
plows,  and  several  other  minor  agricultural 
implements. 

Atkin's  Automaton  Reaper  is  a  recent  in- 
rention,  and  promises  to  be  a  most  valuable, 
as  it  certainly  is  one  of  the  most  ingenious 
agricultural  implements.  It  has  recently 
been  brought  to  notice  by  Mr.  Wright  in 
England.  By  a  recent  article  in  the  London 
Times,  we  learn  that  it  was  commanding  the 
attention  of  the  best  informed  and  most  ex- 
tensive English  agriculturists.  In  this  coun 
try  it  has  also  secured  the  admiration  of  all 
who  have  witnessed  its  truly  wonderful  move- 
ments. 


13 


COACH  AND    WAGON   MANUFACTURING. 

Among  the  various  branches  of  manufac- 
turing carried  on  in  Chicago,  none  stands  out 
more  prominent  than  the  carriage  and  wagon 
making  business.  And  yet  but  few  of  our 
citizens  generally  are  aware  of  the  extent 
that  this  branch  of  trade  is  being  carried  on 
in  our  midst. 

A  business  that  is  em  ply  ing  so  many  men, 
and  so  large  an  amount  of  capital  as  this, 
must  necessarily  make  some  outside  show ; 
and  hardly  any  one  can  fail  to  notice  the 
sure  manifestations  of  a  wagon  shop,  by  the 
vehicles  which  usually  stand  about  the  doors 
of  such  establishments — a  sure  indication  of 
the  industry  pervading  within.  Especially 
does  this  apply  to  Randolph  street,  which 
by  far  eclipses  all  other  streets  in  the  city, 
in  the  number  of  vehicles  manufactured, 
from  the  costly  barouche  to  a  truckman's 
dray.  More  than  half  of  the  carriage  man- 
ufacturing establishments  in  the  city  are  on 
this  street,  and  they  comprise  nearly  all  of  j 
the  heaviest  business  firms. 

The  total  number  of  these  establishments 
is  twenty-five ;  of  which,  fourteen  are  in  , 
the  South  Division,  and  the  remainder  in  the  i 
West  Division.  The  following  shows  the  j 
number  of  men  employed,  the  number  of ! 
vehicles  manufactured,  during  the  year  their  j 
average  value,  and  the  capital  used  in  the  ! 
business : 

No.  of  men 323. 

No.  of  Vehicles 2625. 

Aggregate  value $210,445. 

Capital  employed $127,000. 

In  the  list  of  vehicles  are  included,  farmers' 
wagons,  buggies,   barouches,  and  coaches. —  i 
Of  this  [number,   a  very  prominent  portion  ! 
supplies  the  demand  in  our  own  State ;  while  , 
large  numbers  are  being  continually  sent  to  i 
Michigan,  Indiana,  Wisconsin,  Iowa  and  Min- 1 
nesota  ;  and  not  a  few  to  St.  Louis,  to  supply  j 
the  State  of  Missouri.     Add  to  this,  the  num- 
ber that  have  been  taken  to  Oregon  and  Cal-  j 
ifornia,  and  the  reader  can  form  quite  an  ad- 
equate ide  of  the  demand  for  Chicago  manu-  ; 
f-ictures.     And  we  are  informed  by  some  of  ; 
our  most  extensive  builders,  that  during  the  j 
past  season,  the  demand  has   been  so  great 
that  they  have  for  several   months  sold  only 
to  those  who  had  ordered  in  advance,  and 
frequently  have  been  obliged  to  turn  away 
customers,  being  unable  to   supply  them. — 
This  state  of  the  trade  has  induced  many  to 
go   into   the  business   during  the  past  year, 
and  those  who  have  been  long  established 


are  extending  their  facilities  in  order  to  meet 
the  increasing  demand. 

Most  of  the  timber  used,  conies  from  our 
neighboring  State,  Michigan — especially  ash, 
hickory  and  white  wood.  The  latter  is  rep- 
resented to  be  of  a  quality  superior  to  that 
which  grows  in  the  Eastern  States.  Northern 
Indiana,  and  in  fact,  the  whole  length  of  the 
St.  Joseph  Valley,  furnishes  also  a  large 
supply  of  the  wagon  timber  used  here. — 
Northern  Wisconsin,  and  the  vicinity  near 
Sheboygan,  also  sends  her  oak  ;  and  even  our 
own  Illinois  furnishes  a  share  of  the  material 
— though  not  in  comparison  with  the  before 
mentioned  localities.  A  small  supply  of  tim- 
ber for  felloes,  hubs  and  shafts,  for  fine  car- 
riages, is  brought  from  New  Jersey ;  and  one 
firm  has  introduced  some  from  Cincinnati; 
but  as  a  general  thing,  our  own  western 
forests  are  abundantly  capable  of  supplying 
all  the  timber  that  is  requisite  for  the  manu- 
facture of  wagons  and  carriages  in  Chicago. 

THE    PLOW    BUSINESS. 

This  is  a  very  important  and  extensive 
branch  of  Chicago  manufactures.  Plows 
made  in  this  city  have  been  sent  to  California 
and  Oregon,  and  give  universal  satisfaction. 
There  is  an  immense  extent  of  country  that 
depends  on  this  city  for  this  essential  agri- 
cultural implement.  We  have  not  been  able 
to  collect  the  precise  statistics,  but  the  amount 
of  the  business  done  cannot  be  less  than 
$100,000. 

TANNING    BUSINESS. 

We  have  four  tanning  establishments.  The 
firms,  engaged  in  this  business  are  W.  S.  Gur- 
nee  &  Co.,  Chas.  F.  Grey  &  Co.,  Osborn  and 
Cobb  and  C.  C.  Wallin  ct  Son.  Some  of  them 
are  doing  an  immense  business.  The  amount 
paid  for  labor  and  the  raw  material  in  these 
different  establishments  is  as  follows: 

Cost  of  38, 785  hides  and  skins,  tanned  in  Chica- 
go, in  the  year  1852 $96,^2 

130  hands  employed  at  a  cost  of 26.58U 

3450  cords  of  bark  consumed  in  manufacturing 
the  above 19,525 

Cost  of  Oil.  Tallow,  &c 6.«M 

Total  cost  of  raw  material  and  labor $149,247 

What  the  value  of  the  manufactured  articles 
would  amount  to,  we  have  not  been  able  to 
learn ;  but  it  must  be  large.  The  great  ad- 
vantage which  this  city  affords  for  the  suc- 
cessful prosecution  of  this  business,  is  the 
number  of  hides  that  our  beef  packing  houses 
afford,  and  the  wide  extent  of  country  that 
is  dependant  on  this  city  for  its  leather.  The 
opening  of  so  many  lines  of  railroads  will  af- 


14 


ford  a  m\:ek  wider  field  for  the  enterprise  of 
our  leather  manufacturers. 

STOVES. 

Raymond,  "Ward  &  Co.  are  the  only  firm 
that  have  manufactured  stoves.  The  materi- 
als used  and  the  amount  paid  for  labor,  are 
as  follows : 

350  tons  Scotch  Iron,  cost  say  $25 $8,750  00 

314    "    Am.         "         "  25 7,85000 

60    "     Scrap      "  20 1,20000 

165    "    HardCoal,        "  8 1,32000 

204    "     Erie  &  111.  coal"  5 1,02000 

120    "     Mould'gSand"  3^ 42000 

1,000    "    Bu.  charcoal    "  Sets 8000 

Lumber  and  other  et  ceteras 1,00000 

Cash  paid  for  labor 18,000  00 

*39,t>10  00 
MANUFACTURED. 
2,126  Cooking  Stoves. 
1,543  Parlor,  Box  and  Office  Stores. 
3,000  Setts  Pump  Pieels. 
253%  tons  McCormick's  Reaper  Castings. 
60  tons  various  other  Castings. 

These  stoves  were  shipped  to  the  towns  on 
the  Illinois  and  Upper  Mississippi  rivers,  and 
had  a  very  extensive  sale,  The  establishment 
is  near  McCormick's  Reaper  factory,  and  Mr. 
McC.  has  purchased  it,  and  intends  to  use  it 
exclusively  in  manufacturing  castings  for  hi» 
Reapers. 

THE   WATCH  AND  JEWELRY  BUSINESS. 

This  is  becoming  a  v<^y  important  branch 
of  trade.  One  firm  has  manufactured  nearly 
twenty  thousand  dollars  worth  of  these  goods, 
and  the  business  of  a  number  of  pur  houses 
ranges  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars. 

CCNCLI7&IOX. 

$2We  intended  to  have  obtained  the  statis- 
tics of  our  extensive  engine  builders >aud  ma- 
chinists on  the  west  side,  but  time  has  failed 
us.  We  hope  to  do  better  next  year. — 
Messrs.  Gates  &  McKnight,  Scoville  &  Sons, 
A.  Moses,  Messrs.  Cobb,  Alderman  Granger, 
and  a  number  of  others,  are  doing  a  very 
large  amount  of  business.  A  great  variety 
of  other  establishments  and  manufactories 
ought  to  be  noticed,  but  time  and  space  will 
not  permit. 

The  facts  above  given,  we  think,  will  con- 
vince the  most  skeptical,  that  the  inarch  ol 
improvement  at  the  West  is  omvard.  They 
show  an  increase  in  population,  wealth  and 
resources,  which  must  prove  exceedingly 
gratifying  to  all  our  citizens.  They  will 
serve  to  extend  the  conviction,  now  almost 
universal,  that  Chicago  is  destined  to  be- 
come the  great  commercial  centre  of  the 
Northwest,  and  among  the  first,  if  not  the 


first,  city  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  Her  posi- 
tion at  the  head  of  a  thousand  miles  of 
lake  navigation  gives  her  a  commanding 
influence.  She  has  no  levee  to  be  inundated 
causing  the  destruction  of  millions  of  property. 
Neither  is  she  situated  upon  a  river,  whose 
navigable  capacity  the  clearing  up  of  the 
country  will  be  liable  to  affect.  She  is  sub- 
ject to  no  floods  nor  inundations.  To  the 
north,  west  and  south,  almost  boundless  prai- 
ries and  groves  are  inviting  the  toil  of  the 
husbandman  to  develop  their  treasures  and 
yield  a  rich  reward  to  honest  industry.  In 
all  the  elements-of  wealth,  their  resources  are 
exhaustless.  The  mineral  treasures  of  Lake 
Superior  will  soon  pay  tribute  to  Chicago; 
and  our  railroads  in  a  few  months  will  have 
reached  the  lead  regions  of  the  Galena  dis- 
trict. The  Rock  Island  and  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroads  will  soon  penetrate  the  most 
extensive  coal  field  in  the  United  States,  and 
in  fact  in  the  world,  and  our  commerce,  and 
more  especially  our  manufactures  must  in- 
crease in  a  ratio  far  beyond  what  has  hither 
to  been  realized. 

Within  the  next  five  years  the  railroads 
that  will  be  completed  and  centre  in  this  city 
will  extend  more  than  three  thousand  miles. 
If  we  should  add  the  extensions  of  these 
trunk  lines  to  their  ultimate  limits,  their  ag- 
gregate lengths  would  amount  to  tens  of  thou- 
sands. Within  five  years  we  expect  to  be  in 
railroad  connexion  with  Milwaukee  and  Mad- 
ison, Wis., — with  Dubuque  and  Council  Bluffs, 
Rock  Island,  St.  Louis,  Cairo,  New  Orleans, 
Mobile,  Savannah,  Ga..  Charleston,  S.  C.,  Rich- 
mond, Va.,  Washington,  Baltimore,  Phila- 
delphia, New  York,  Boston,  Portland,  and 
"the  rest  of  mankind."  A  bright  future  is 
therefore  before  the  "  GARDEN  CITY."  Let 
our  merchants  and  mechanics,  our  artisans 
and  business  men  generally,  understand  the 
advantages  which  our  commanding  commer- 
cial position  affords.  Let  them  with  becom- 
ing prudence,  but  with  far-seeing,  intelligent 
views  as  to  what  the  spirit  of  the  age  and 
the  stirring  times  in  which  we  live  demand, 
gird  themselves  for  the  work  of  making  Chi- 
cago the  great  commercial  emporium  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley.  The  prize  is  within  their 
grasp  ;  let  thorn  show  the  world  that  they  are 
worthy,  and  the  rich  commerce  of  the  prai- 
ries and  of  the  lakes  will  most  certainly  crown 
their  efforts  with  success. 


RAILROADS 

CENTERING   AT   CHICAGO 


We  have  frequently  been  solicited  by  persons,  both  in  this  city  and  elsewhere,  to 

ive  a  detailed  statement  of  the  number  and  names  of  the  Railroads,  completed,  un- 
er  process  of  construction,  and  about  to  be  put  under  contract  for  finishing,  which 
center  in  this  city.  The  importance  of  such  a  statement,  in  aiding  business  men  and 
capitalists,  at  home  and  abroad,  to  properly  understand  the  advantages  of  our  com- 
mercial position,  has  been  manifest ;  but  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  authentic  material, 
the  new  projects  constantly  coming  before  the  public,  and,  until  recently,  the  unsettled 
character  of  several  of  the  most  important  of  the  proposed  lines  of  road,  have  here- 
tofore rendered  such  an  undertaking  very  arduous,  while  its  results  could  not  be  satis- 
factory, because  of  the  uncertain  condition  of  things.  Change  has  made  the  order 
of  each  day  in  Illinois  and  the  North-west,  during  the  last  few  years.  To  illustrate 
this  fact : — 

Eighteen  years  ago,  there  were  not  five  thousand  white  inhabitants  in  all  the  vast 
region  of  beautiful  country  lying  between  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Pacific  Ocean  ! 
Now,  the  number  is  over  (me  million  ! 

Twelve  years  ago,  Chicago  was  esteemed,  by  capitalists  and  business  men  in  the 
east,  but  little  more  substantial  than  a  fiction.  Now,  they  admit  it  is  on  the  eve  of 
becoming  the  largest  inland  city  in  the  Union — the  commercial  metropolis  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley ! 

Ten  years  ago,  six  or  eight  days  were  occupied  in  passing  from  Chicago  to  New 
York.  Now,  it  only  requires  forty-eight  hours  !  Rival  lines  will  soon  reduce  the  dis- 
tance several  hours  more. 

Five  years  ago,  Chicago  had  not  a  single  foot  of  railroad  in  any  direction.  Now, 
she  has  over  two  hundred  miles  completed,  within  the  State,  and  free  access,  at  all 
times,  to  every  city  on  the  sea-board,  from  Portland  to  Savannah  ! 

There  are  no  circumstances  connected  with  the  history  of  any  nation,  that  are  more 
calculated  to  excite  astonishment  and  heartfelt  gratification,  than  these. 

What  we  have  to  deal  with,  however,  in  this  article,  is  not  the  past,  but  the  Pres- 
ent and  future  of  Chicago.  These  are  connected  with  her  commercial  position,  and 
the  prosecution  of  those  great  enterprizes  which,  when  completed,  will  make  her  the 
great  store-house  of  the  East  and  the  West, — the  Central  Exchange  of  the  Nation. 

In  noticing  the  railroads  of  which  Chicago  is  the  center,  we  shall  divide  them  into 
two  classes, — the  first  running  directly  into  our  city,  and  the  second  being  branches 
and  extensions  of  the  first.  We  shall  also  notice  those  that  are  completed,  those  only 
partly  so,  and  those  that  are  either  in  course  of  construction,  or  the  immediate  con- 
struction of  which  is  placed  beyond  a  doubt. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  trunk  roads,  and  also  of  the  extensions  and  branches, 
with  a  statement  of  the  length  of  each  : — 

Chicago  and  Milwaukee,  92  Miles. 

Illinois  and  Wisconsin  to  Fonddu  Lac,  -     175      " 

Chicago  and  Galena,  to  Freeport,     -  125       " 

Chicago,  St.  Charles  and  Mississippi  Air  Line,       -  -     135      " 

Chicago  and  Aurora,  to  meet  Illinois  Central,   -  86      " 

Chicago  and  Rock  Island,  -     180      " 

Chicago  and  Mississippi,  to  Alton,   -  280 

Illinois  Central,  Chicago  to  Cairo,        -  -     353      " 


16 

Chicago  and  Cincinnati,  via  Logansport,  281  Miles. 

Chicago  and  Fort  Wayne,  -     180      " 
Michigan  Southern,        -  243       " 

Michigan  Central,  to  Detroit,      -  -     280      " 

Total  miles  of  trunk  roads,  2410 

BRANCH  ROADS. 

Beloit  Branch  of  Galena  road,  21  Miles. 

Beloit  and  Madison,  (Extension,)  -  53      " 

Dubuque  and  Galena,  to  Janesville,  86      " 

"         "         "       to  Freeport,       -  67      " 

Savanna  and  Freeport  branch,  35      " 
Galena  branch  of  111.  Central,  from  Freeport  to  junction  with 

Aurora  road,  -  60      " 

Mississippi  and  Rock  River  Junction,  Fulton  City  to  Sycamore 

Branch  of  the  Air  Line,      -  80      " 

HI.  Central,  from  Clinton  county  to  junction  with  Aurora  road,  195       " 
Northern  Cross  and  Central  Military  Tract,  from  Quincy  to 

connection  with  Aurora  road,  -  180      " 

St.  Charles  branch  of  Galena  road,  -  7 

Fox  River  Valley,     -  -  40 

Mineral  Point  branch  road,     -  32 

Janesville  to  Madison,        -  34 

Milwaukee  to  Fond  dti  Lac,  60 

Madison,  Wisconsin,  to  Ontonagon  on  Lake  Superior,  about  200 

Madison  to  LaCrosse,  -  150      " 

Total  miles  of  Branch  roads,  -       1300 

Thus  we  have  twelve  trunk  roads,  (we  count  the  Chicago  branch  of  the  Illinois 
Central  among  this  number,  because  it  is  nearly  400  miles  long,  and  runs  direct  into 
our  city  from  Cairo,)  and  sixteen  branches  and  extensions.  We  have  not  taken  into 
account  as  branches,  the  Burlington,  Oquawka  and  Peoria  road,  which  will  feed  into 
the  Central  Military  Tract  from  two  points  on  the  Mississippi,  and  from  Peoria  on  the 
Illinois  river ;  nor  the  New  Albany  and  Salem,  which  is  to  run  from  New  Albany,  on 
the  Ohio  river,  and  join  the  Michigan  Central  at  Michigan  City,  though,  it  is  acknowl- 
edged they  will  be  very  important  contributors  to  the  prosperity  of  our  city.  Neither 
have  we  considered  as  branches  or  extensions,  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  road,  which  is 
really  a  continuation  of  the  line  of  the  Illinois  Central  to  Mobile ;  nor  the  various  lines 
which  our  Iowa  neighbors  have  determined  to  connect  with  our  roads,  and  extend  on 
parallel  lines,  from  their  eastern  border  on  the  Mississippi  to  their  western  frontier  on 
the  Missouri,  though  these  will  be  of  eminent  importance  in  estimating  the  extent  of 
country  for  which  our  city  will  be  the  natural  market. 

Without  taking  these  into  consideration,  therefore,  we  have  the  following  statement 
of  the  number  of  miles  of  railroad  soon  to  center  upon  our  city : 

Trunk  roads,  -  2410  miles. 

Branches,  -     1300     " 

Total  number  of  miks,  -        3710 

Some  of  the  branches  are  more  properly  extensions,  as  they  are  direct  continuations 
of  trunk  roads, — the  distinction  being  only  that  they  are  constructed  under  different 
corporate  names  and  companies.  Of  this 'number  is  the  Northern  Cross  and  Central 
Military  Tract  road,  which  runs  very  direct  from  Quincy,  on  the  Mississippi  river,  to 
the  Western  termination  of  the  Aurora  road,  eighteen  miles  north  of  La  Salle.  So, 
also,  is  the  Savanna  branch  of  the  Galena  road,  as  it  is  a  mere  continuation  of  the  lat- 
ter to  the  nearest  point  on  the  Mississippi  river.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  section 
of  the  Illinois  Central  road,  from  Freeport  to  Dubuque.  But  the  reader  will  see,  at  a 
glance,  that  though  called  branch  roads,  they  are  none  the  less  important  on  that  ac- 
count. 


17 

In  order  to  indicate  to  the  general  reader  the  importance  of  each  of  these  roads  to 
our  city,  we  propose  a  brief  account  of  each  particular  line,  with  the  character  of  the 
country  for  which  it  is  to  be  an  outlet. 

The  first  among  the  number  is  the 

GALENA  AND  CHICAGO  UNION  RAILROAD. 

This  work  was  first  projected  in  1836,  but  failed  with  the  general  prostration  of 
public  and  private  credit  in  1837.  Subsequently,  in  1847,  a  company  was  organised 
— WM.  B.  OGDEN  as  President,  JOHN  B.  TURNER  as  Superintendent,  and  some  of  our 
principal  citizens  and  real  estate  owners  as  Directors.  As  it  may  be  considered  the 
Parent  of  the  railroad  system  subsequently  adopted  in  this  State,  we  will  be  excused 
for  speaking  of  it  at  some  length.  After  the  organization  of  the  company  the  ques- 
tion as  to  stock  subscriptions  was  the  great  trouble.  A  committee  of  the  Directors 
went  over  the  whole  country  on  the  line  between  this  and  Galena,  for  the  purpose  of 
ascertaining  the  amount  of  cultivated  land  that  would  contribute  to  the  business  of  the 
road.  After  several  weeks  of  careful  observation  and  inquiry,  it  was  estimated  that 
not  over  two  and  a  half  per  cent,  of  the  entire  country,  embracing  a  strip  forty  miles 
in  width,  was  under  cultivation.  It  was  also  estimated,  after  careful  inquiry,  that  the 
number  of  passengers  that  would  pass  over  the  road,  after  the  completion  of  the  first 
division,  from  Chicago  to  Fox  River,  would  be  1 7,000.  On  these  two  estimates,  it 
was  settled  that  the  road  would  pay  a  fair  interest  to  the  stockholders,  if  strict  econo- 
my were  practised.  The  report  of  the  Engineer,  Richard  P.  Morgan,  printed  at  the 
time,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  public  information  on  the  subject,  and  encouraging 
them  to  subscribe  to  the  stock  of  the  road,  gives  the  following  as  the  estimated  busi- 
ness of  the  line,  when  completed  through  to  Galena.  We  copy  a  few  of  the  articles 
on  which  estimates  were  given  : 

Corn,  Oats,  Barley,  Potatoes,  &c.  5,000  tons,  at  $2  per  ton,  $10,000 

Pork  and  Beef,  4,000  tons,  at  $2,  8,000 

Live  Stock,  Wool,  Hides,  Skins,  &c.,  1,000  tons,        -  3,000 

Cheese,  Lard,  Butter,  &c.,  500  tons,  2,000 

Boards,  Plank  and  Joists,  6,000,000  ft.  -       12,000 

Shingles,  Lath,  and  other  lumber  3;000 

Passengers,  East  and  West,  -     150,000 

Many  of  these  estimates  were  considered  extravagant,  not  only  by  moneyed  men  in 
the  East,  who,  having  real  estate  in  the  city  and  on  the  line  of  the  proposed  road, 
were  interested  in  its  success,  but  by  our  most  intelligent  citizens,  also ;  and  when  Mr. 
Ogden  canvassed  the  city  for  subscriptions  among  the  merchants  and  mechanics,  he 
was  only  able  to  secure  $20,000,  and  this  from  persons  who  had  in  view  an  advantage 
to  their  real  estate  greater  than  what  they  expected  to  lose  by  their  subscriptions. — 
Many  persons  subscribed  a  few  hundred  dollars,  intending  to  pay  some  of  the  first  in- 
stalments and  then  forfeit  their  stock.  After  drumming  the  city  and  country  for 
months,  subscriptions  were  obtained  to  the  extent  of  about  $400,000,  of  which  it  was 
supposed  two-thirds  would  be  paid  up,  in  full,  and  the  remainder  partly  paid  and  for- 
feited. Great  inducements  were  held  out  to  subscribers  to  advance  their  full  stock, 
which  was  generally  done  by  the  Directors.  Money  was  borrowed  at  exorbitant  rates 
of  interest,  and  in  small  sums,  wherever  it  could  be  obtained;  and  when  Messrs.  J.  B. 
Turner  and  B.  W.  Raymond  proceeded  East  to  effect  loans,  they  could  get  nothing 
on  the  credit  of  the  company,  but  had  to  pledge  their  individual  names. 

By  such  means,  the  road  went  ahead, — slowly,  it  is  true, — and  when  it  reached 
Cottage  Hill,  fourteen  miles  from  the  city,  the  public  were  astounded  with  the  an- 
nouncement that  its  business  exceeded  all  expectations,  and  already  paid  six  or  eight 
per  cent.  Stock,  which  had  gone  down  to  75  or  80  cents  on  the  dollar,  was  no  longer 
considered  a  dead  loss,  and  hopes  were  entertained  that  the  predictions  of  the  Engi- 
neer, quoted  above,  might  be  verified. 

Steadily  the  road  was   pushed  forward,  under  the  personal  supervision  of  Mr.  Tur- 
ner and  the  then  new  Engineer,  Mr.  Van  Nortwick,  and  every  additional   mile  that 
was  completed  improved  the  character  of  the  work  in  the  estimation  of  stockholders 
2 


18 

and  capitalists.  Finally  it  reached  Fox  River ;  and  that  was  a  great  point  gained,  as 
the  period  for  demonstrating  the  character  of  the  road,  beyond  all  cavil,  had  arrived. 
The  people  of  the  country  rejoiced,  and  many  did  not  care  whether  their  stock  paid 
or  not ;  but  the  merchants  and  mechanics  of  the  city  became  alarmed  lest,  in  making 
their  stock  good,  they  should  lose  their  country  trade.  In  every  part  of  the  city,  disas- 
ter was  predicted  from  the  transfer  of  the  retail  trade  from  the  city  to  the  country  towns 
along  Fox  River  and  the  line  of  the  road.  And  it  was  doubtless  true  that  the  trade 
of  the  city  had  to  undergo  a  change,  and  that  it  bore  heavily  upon  some  kinds  of  bus- 
iness ;  but  it  gave  additional  life  and  energy  to  others,  and  as  soon  as  our  trade  had 
accommodated  itself  to  the  new  condition  of  things,  complaints  in  a  measure  ceased. 
Farmers  commenced  producing  and  selling  twice  as  much  as  they  had  been  previously 
doing ;  and,  of  course,  they  bought  twice  as  much.  It  called  into  existence  and  sus- 
tained wholesale  dealers,  and  every  branch  of  business  was  aifected  in  that  way  to 
some  extent.  Farmers  were  selling  their  produce,  and  buying,  building,  and  improv- 
ing constantly.  Agricultural  implements,  lumber,  shingles,  lath,  machinery,  nails, 
glass,  dry  goods,  groceries,  furniture,  and  everything  necessary  to  improvement,  com- 
fort and  luxury,  were  bought  here  in  quantities  entirely  beyond  the  two-penny  char- 
acter of  previous  transactions.  The  road,  too,  was  overrun  with  business.  It  could 
not  manufacture  cars  rapidly  enough  to  accommodate  the  pressing  demand,  and  had 
to  borrow  or  buy  a  large  number  of  second-hand  ones  from  the  Michigan  Central  Rail- 
road. A  large  dividend  was  declared,  and  stock  went  up  to  par.  Business  still  in- 
creased and  the  stock  went  above  par  and  became  scarce.  Ten,  twelve,  fifteen  and 
sixteen  per  cent,  in  regular  half-yearly  dividends  was  successively  declared,  and  al- 
though the  road  is  completed  but  little  over  half  way  to  Galena,  the  stock  has  been 
sold  at  from  thirty  to  forty  per  cent,  premium,  and  but  little  is  to  be  had  at  that ! — 
To  show  how  greatly  the  estimates  of  the  first  Engineer,  Mr.  Morgan, — which  at  the 
time  were  considered  beyond  expectation, — were  below  the  actual  results,  let  us  com- 
pare a  few  items : 

Mr.  Morgan  estimated  that,  when  the  road  was  completed  through  to  Galena,  the 
receipts  of  Pork,  Beef,  Cheese,  Lard,  Butter,  Wool,  Hides,  Skins,  Live  Stock  <fec.  <fec., 
would  amount  to  5,500  tons.  The  actual  receipts  of  Pork  alone,  during  the  months 
of  November  and  December  of  1852  were  a  fraction  over  6,000  tons! 

He  also  estimated  the  amount  of  Lumber,  Shingles  and  Lath  that  would  go  West- 
ward over  the  Road,  when  completed,  at  6,000  tons  of  boards  and  joists  and  1,000 
tons  of  shingles,  lath  and  other  lumber.  The  report  of  the  year's  business,  up  to  April 
30th,  1851,  when  the  road  was  only  completed  one  third  of  the  way  to  Galena,  shows 
the  business  to  have  been  5,900  tons  of  lumber,  18,152  bunches  of  lath,  5,882,000 
shingles,  and  771  cords  of  shingle  bolts ! 

Again  Mr.  Morgan  estimated  the  amount  of  merchandize,  including  groceries,  hard- 
ware, crockery,  paints,  &c.  <fec.,  at  5,000  tons.  The  amount  for  the  year'ending,  April 
30th,  1851,  when  the  road  was  only  completed  to  Belvidere,  was  6,790  tons. 

These  facts  and  comparisons  will  give  the  public  something  of  an  idea  of  the  extent 
of  the  increase  of  the  general  business  of  the  Galena  and  Chicago  Road  over  the  orig- 
inal estimates.  What  the  increase  will  be  when  the  road  shall  be  completed  to  Free- 
port,  and  opened  to  the  trade  of  Iowa  and  Minnesota  by  means  of  the  Savanna  branch, 
and  the  Galena  branch  of  the  Illinois  Central  road,  we  leave  the  reader  to  conjecture. 
It  is  not  our  object  to  guess,  but  to  state  facts,  as  a  basis  for  the  judgment  of  the  pub- 
lic, in  its  action  upon  other  roads,  not  only  with  reference  to  investments  in  their  stock, 
but  also  their  effect  upon  the  destinies  of  our  city — its  business  and  real  estate ;  for, 
we  take  it  for  granted  that  the  history  of  the  Chicago  and  Galena  Railroad,  thus  far, 
is  a  fair  criterion  for  judging  of  the  character  of  all  the  roads  mentioned  in  the  first 
part  of  this  article,  and  more  fully  treated  of  below.  It  is  doubtless  true  that  some  of 
these  roads  will  not  in  the  commencement  meet  with  the  success  of  the  G.  &  C.,  but 
when  the  country  shall  be  more  fully  developed  by  their  instrumentality,  and  our 
prairies  be  covered  with  active  life  and  almost  boundless  wealth ;  when,  in  short,  the 
State  of  Illinois  shall  become  the  richest  State  in  the  confederacy,  in  its  agricultural 
and  mineral  productions,  and  our  city  the  great  commercial  and  manufacturing  me- 
tropolis of  the  Mississippi  Valley, — when  these  things  shall  take  place,  as  they  surely 


19 

will  within  the  life  time  of  men  who  are  now  living  here,  the  history  of  these  Rail- 
roads will  be  deemed  more  remarkable  than  that  of  the  Chicago  and  Galena  at  this 
time,  or  any  other  road  in  the  United  States.  For  nowhere  in  the  world  can  roads 
be  built  or  operated  so  cheaply  as  over  our  prairies,  and  nowhere  else  is  the  soil  so 
universally  productive  and  unfitted  to  any  other  means  of  transportation  and  travel. 

CHICAGO  AND  AURORA  RAILROAD. 

This  road  has  been  completed  to  Aurora  for  two  years,  a  distance  of  43  miles, — 
for  the  first  30  of  which  the  track  of  the  Chicago  and  Galena  road  is  used.  A  little 
over  a  year  ago  books  were  opened  for  stock  to  extend  it  45  miles  further,  to  a  point 
151-2  miles  North  of  La  Salle,  where  it  is  to  be  met  by  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
from  the  South,  the  Galena  branch  of  the  same  road  from  the  Northwest,  and  the 
Northern  Cross  and  Central  Military  Tract  road,  from  Quincy.  All  the  travel  and 
trade  destined  for  Chicago,  from  the  counties  bordering  on  the  line  of  the  Central 
road  South  of  La  Salle,  and  North  of  Clinton  County ;  all  from  the  line  of  the  same 
road  Northwest  to  Freeport, — and  from  the  counties  of  Bureau,  Henry,  Stark,  Knox, 
Warren,  Fulton,  McDonough,  Hancock,  Schuyler  and  Adams  on  the  line  of  the  N. 
C.  &  C.  M.  Tract  road,  will  pass  over  the  Chicago  and  Aurora  road.  Among  all  the 
roads  centering  upon  Chicago,  none  is  destined  to  prove  more  lucrative  to  the  stock- 
holders or  beneficial  to  the  city.  The  rich  and  populous  counties  of  the  Military  Tract 
— the  Garden  of  this  Garden  State — have  heretofore  contributed  immensely  to  the 
prosperity  of  St.  Louis.  On  the  completion  of  the  Chicago  and  Aurora  and  the  N. 
C.  &  C.  M.  T.  road,  their  vast  productions  will  be  turned  in  one  unceasing  stream 
upon  this  city,  while  all  of  their  merchandise  and  trade  will  either  pass  through  or  be 
purchased  here.  The  Aurora  Road  is  all  under  contract,  and  will  be  finished  by  the 
first  day  of  next  August.  The  Illinois  Central  connection  is  also  guarantied  to  be  fin- 
ished at  the  same  time,  and  it  is  only  necessary  to  mention  that  J.  W.  Brooks,  Esq., 
is  President  of  the  N.  C.  <fe  C.  M.  Tract  Road,  and  that  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad 
has  subscribed  all  the  stock  that  was  wanted,  to  satisfy  every  citizen  that  it  also  will 
be  completed  by  the  time  promised, — the  first  day  of  next  September,  fhe  entire 
distance  from  Chicago  to  Quincy  is  266  miles. 

CHICAGO  AND  ROCK  ISLAND  RAILROAD. 

This  road  is  to  run  from  Chicago  to  Rock  Island,  via  Peru,  a  distance  of  180  miles. 
One  hundred  miles  of  the  road  was  completed,  and  the  road  was  opened  to  Peru  on 
the  21st  of  March.  This  reaches  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Illinois  river,  and  opens 
to  us  a  direct  steam  communication  with  New  Orleans  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  This 
will  bring  an  immense  tide  of  travel  through  Chicago,  as  this  will  be  the  quickest  and 
best  route  between  New  York  and  the  cities  north  of  Baltimore  on  the  seaboard,  and 
the  towns  and  cities  on  the  Mississippi  river. 

The  whole  road  is  under  contract,  and  will  be  finished  by  the  close  of  this  year. — 
Though  it  ceases,  in  name,  at  Rock  Island,  it  is,  nevertheless,  to  be  extended,  under 
another  name  and  company,  from  Rock  Island,  in  a  Westward  direction,  through  the 
very  centre  of  Iowa.  It  will  draw  to  it  all  the  trade  and  travel  of  the  counties  lying 
on  the  Mississippi,  from  Whiteside  to  Hancock  County,  in  Illinois,  and  the  central  part 
of  Iowa.  It  is  also  destined  to  be  an  important  branch  of  the  great  Pacific  Railroad, 
as  it  is  on  the  direct  line  from  New  York  and  Chicago  to  the  South  Pass  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  As  a  stock-paying  concern,  it  cannot  fail  of  exceeding  all  the  expectations 
of  its  friends. 

At  the  last  meeting  of  the  Legislature  a  company  was  chartered  to  bridge  the  Mis- 
sissippi at  Rock  Island.  When  it  is  known  that  it  is  the  only  point  on  the  whole 
river  where  it  can  be  brid  ged  without  interfering  with  its  navigation,  and  that  the 
company  is  to  be  directed  by  the  sagacious  judgment  and  indomitable  enterprise  of 
Gov.  Matteson,  it  is  a  guaranty  that  within  two  years  the  locomotive  that  leaves  Chi- 
cago in  the  morning  may  cross  the  Mississippi  in  the  afternoon,  and  bring  back  to  our 
city,  the  next  day,  the  productions  of  Iowa. 

Some  corporators  of  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  with  other  gentlemen  interested  in 


20 

the  work,  have  formed  a  company  to  extend  the  Rock  Island  road  from  Davenport, 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Mississippi  to  Council  Bluffs  on  the  Missouri  river.  Its 
length  will  be  about  three  hundred  miles.  This  road  is  in  the  hands  of  men  of  wealth 
and  unyielding  energy,  and  we  look  with  certainty  for  its  completion  within  five  years. 
It  will  be  of  immense  advantage  to  the  commerce  of  Chicago,  as  the  district  in  Iowa 
through  which  it  passes,  is  one  of  the  richest  portions  of  the  Mississippi  valley.  All 
the  travel  from  the  States  east  of  us,  by  the  overland  route,  to  California  and  Oregon 
would  pass  over  this  road ;  and  besides,  it  would,  to  say  the  least,  bring  us  a  share  of 
the  upper  Missouri  trade,  all  of  which  has  hitherto  gone  to  St.  Louis. 

ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD— CHICAGO  BRANCH. 

The  public  know  so  much  about  this  road  that  we  cannot  enlighten  them  more. 
It  is  to  run  direct  from  Chicago  to  Cairo,  353  miles,  through  a  country  unsurpassed 
in  beauty  and  fertility,  but  which  has  not  been  much  settled  on  account  of  its  remote- 
ness from  markets.  Throughout  a  large  part  of  the  road,  rich  fields  of  coal,  easy  of 
access,  lie  in  the  greatest  abundance.  It  is  principally  a  prairie  country,  and,  within 
two  years  after  the  road  is  opened,  will  require  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  millions  of 
our  lumber,  with  a  proportionate  amount  of  shingles  and  lath.  It  will  also  produce 
many  millions  of  dollars  worth  of  Corn,  Wheat,  Oats,  Potatoes,  Pork,  Beef,  Wool,  &c., 
nearly  all  of  which  will  seeek  this  city  as  a  legitimate  market.  This  road  is  to  be  a 
part  of  the  great  central  line  from  Chicago  to  Mobile,  for  which  Congress  made  a  lib- 
eral donation  of  the  public  domain.  We  have  before  us  the  report  of  the  Engineer  of 
the  southern  section,  which  starts  from  a  point  on  the  river  opposite  Cairo,  and  runs 
to  Mobile.  It  will  contribute  greatly  to  the  prosperity  of  the  Illinois  Central,  as  it  will 
place  the  two  cities  only  48  hours  apart.  In  the  winter,  our  citizens  may,  within  that 
time,  pass  from  snow  and  ice  to  the  region  of  summer,  with  its  fruits  and  flowers ;  and 
in  the  summer,  the  citizens  of  the  Southern  States,  who  are  oppressed  with  heat  and 
miasms,  may,  in  the  same  length  of  time,  come  north,  and  enjoy  the  bracing  and  de- 
licious atmosphere  which  is  to  be  found  nowhere  so  pure  as  in  the  vicinity  of  our  great 
Lakes.  From  Cairo  to  New  Orleans,  the  river  is  never  obstructed  by  ice,  and  is  nav- 
igable at  all  times  for  the  largest  class  of  boats.  Three  years  hence,  the  distance  be- 
tween Chicago  and  New  Orleans  will  be  passed  over  by  railroad  in  two,  and  by  the 
Mississippi  river  and  Illinois  Central  road,  in  five  days.  It  now  requires  from  ten  to 
twelve. 

CHICAGO  AND  MISSISSIPPI  RAILROAD. 

The  line  of  this  road  is  280  miles — the  termini  being  Chicago  and  Alton,  and  the 
principal  intermediate  points,  Springfield  and  Bloomington.  The  part  of  it  from  Alton 
to  Springfield  is  now  finished,  and  the  section  from  the  latter  place  to  Bloomington,  in 
McLean  county,  is  under  contract  to  be  completed  by  the  first  day  of  August.  At 
the  latter  point  it  will  connect  temporarily  with  the  Illinois  Central,  so  that  passengers 
may  proceed  to  Alton  by  the  Chicago  and  Aurora,  Illinois  Central,  Rock  Island,  and 
Chicago  and  Mississippi  roads.  That  portion  of  the  route  between  Bloomington  and 
this  city  has  been  surveyed,  and  the  work  is  in  the  hands  of  a  company  of  eastern 
capitalists  of  abundant  means  to  carry  it  forward  to  completion.  It  is  to  be  almost  a 
direct  line  from  Chicago  to  Alton,  and  will  open  to  our  city  the  trade  of  a  large  num- 
ber of  very  rich  counties.  The  importance  of  the  work  will  be  more  readily  seen  by 
reference  to  the  map  of  the  State  of  Illinois. 

ILLINOIS  AND  WISCONSIN  ROAD. 

This  road,  which  has  always  been  a  favorite  project  with  our  citizens,  is  to  run  in  a 
north-west  course  via  Woodstock,  in  McHenry  county,  to  Janesville  in  Wisconsin,  and 
branching  there,  one  branch  running  to  Fond  du  Lac,  a  distance  of  175  miles  from 
Chicago,  with  a  very  probable  one  to  Lake  Superior,  and  another  branch  to  Madison, 
and  thence  to  St.  Paul,  in  Minnesota. 

Until  last  year,  nothing  definite  was  consummated  in  regard  to  it ;  but  it  was  then 


21 

taken  hold  of,  the  means  for  its  construction  provided,  and  the  whole  line  put  under 
contract.  But  for  disappointment  in  obtaining  ties,  25  miles  of  this  end  of  the  line 
would  now  be  finished  and  in  use.  One  remarkable  feature  about  it  is,  that  it  is  on 
the  six  foot  guage — the  same  as  the  New  York  and  Erie.  It  is  to  pass  through  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  sections  of  Illinois,  and  the  very  heart  of  Wisconsin.  Recently, 
it  has  been  determined  to  build  a  branch  from  Janesville  to  Galena  and  Dubuque,  also 
on  the  six  foot  guage.  To  carry  out  this  latter  project,  a  large  number  of  the  heaviest 
capitalists  of  Galena  have  guaranteed  a  subscription  of  $200,000  ;  and  Dubuque  guar- 
antees $200,000  more,  and  the  surveys  are  in  an  advanced  state,  and  there  is  very 
little  doubt  that  it  will  be  constructed  with  two  years.  The  Illinois  and  Wisconsin, 
even  without  the  Galena  branch,  will  be  an  important  avenue  for  Chicago,  as  it  will 
open  to  her  trade  some  of  the  richest  and  most  populous  counties  of  Wisconsin — a 
trade  which  we  have  never  had  yet,  and  therefore  the  more  important  to  obtain. 

CHICAGO  AND  MILWAUKEE  ROAD. 

Within  the  last  few  weeks,  this  company  has  been  fully  organized,  and  they  are  only 
waiting  the  action  of  the  people  of  Wisconsin,  to  put  the  road  under  contract.  The 
company  in  this  State  propose  to  build  the  road  direct  to  Milwaukee  within  two  years, 
or  to  connect  with  a  Wisconsin  company  at  the  State  line.  The  road  is  in  the  hands 
of  some  of  our  most  wealthy  and  energetic  business  men,  and  its  construction  is  ren- 
dered a  "fixed  fact." 

The  importance  of  this  road  to  the  commerce  of  our  city  is  not  fully  appreciated. 
It  will  bring  Milwaukee,  and  all  the  other  cities  and  towns  along  the  lake  shore  with- 
in a  few  hours  of  Chicago.  In  the  winter,  while  navigation  on  the  lake  is  closed,  it 
will  bring  us  a  large  and  profitable  trade. 

From  Milwaukee  the  road  will  be  extended  north-west,  to  Fort  Winnebago — and 
altho'  this  extension  will  be  more  especially  tributary  to  Milwaukee,  yet  it  must  add 
very  considerably  to  the  commerce  of  Chicago.  Every  railroad  that  can  be  built  to 
the  west,  north-west,  or  south-west  of  us,  must,  from  necessity,  increase  the  prosperity 
of  the  Garden  City. 

MICHIGAN  SOUTHERN  ROAD. 

This  road  runs  from  this  city  to  Monroe,  and  also  to  Toledo.  At  the  latter  point, 
as  our  readers  well  know,  it  connects  with  all  the  the  roads  leading  to  the  seaboard, 
as  well  as  to  Pittsburg  and  Cincinnati.  The  roads  extending  east  along  the  south 
shore  of  Lake  Erie,  were  all  completed  about  the  first  of  January.  We  have  now  a 
direct  railroad  communication  between  Chicago  and  Portland,  "  way  down  east "  in 
the  State  of  Maine.  When  the  different  guages  of  the  lake  shore  roads  are  reduced 
to  uniformity,  (all  of  which  will  be  done  at  an  early  day,)  passengers  by  this  road  will 
pass  but  one  night  in  the  cars  in  going  from  Chicago  to  any  of  the  seaboard  cities.  At 
the  present  time  it  is  the  great  route  of  travel  from  Chicago  to  the  East 

MICHIGAN  CENTRAL  ROAD. 

This  road,  connecting  Chicago  with  Detroit,  is  also  so  well  known  to  the  public, 
that  it  needs  no  extended  notice.  By  the  1st  day  of  next  September,  it  will  form  a 
connection  with  the  Canada  Road,  which  will  give  it  a  very  direct  line  to  the  East. — 
When  the  connection  is  made,  it  is  intended  to  carry  passengers  through  from  Chicago 
to  New  York  in  thirty-two  hours. 

CHICAGO  AND  FORT  WAYNE  ROAD. 

This  road  is  to  be  one  of  the  most  important  of  all  that  lead  to  the  East  from  our 
city.  It  is  to  be  a  continuation  of  the  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  and  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  Railroads,  and  will  form  a  more  direct  line  to  New  York  and  Philadelphia  than 
any  other  now  completed.  The  line  from  Fort  Wayne,  in  Indiana,  to  this  city,  has 
been  surveyed,  and  the  interests  of  both  of  the  great  roads  above  mentioned  are  united 
in  pushing  it  forward  to  completion.  It  will  open  to  our  trade  the  rich  counties  of 


22 

Lake,  Porter,  Marshall,  Kosciusko,  Whitley  and  Allen,  in  Indiana — counties  which 
are  not  now  in  connection,  to  any  extent,  with  other  roads. 

CHICAGO,  ST.  CHARLES  AND  MISSISSIPPI  AIR  LINE  R,  R. 

This  Company  has  recently  been  fully  organized,  and  reliable  subscriptions  have 
been  made  for  the  whole  amount  of  the  stock.  The  board  of  directors  are  among  the 
most  intelligent  men  in  the  northern  part  of  this  State.  There  are  now  upon  the  route 
four  companies  of  engineers,  making  the  necessary  explorations,  preparatory  to  the  lo- 
cation of  the  work.  The  surveys  will  be  completed  by  the  first  of  May,  and  the  road 
will  all  be  put  under  contract  by  the  first  of  June,  and  it  is  expected  that  it  will  be 
completed  within  two  years. 

This  road  will  pass  through  the  counties  of  Cook,  Kane,  De  Kalb,  Boone,  Ogle,  Car- 
roll and  Jo  Davies,  reaching  the  Mississippi  at  Savanna.  This  is  said  to  be  the  short- 
est route  possible  between  Lake  Michigan  and  the  "  Father  of  Waters."  These  coun- 
ties are  rich  in  agricultural  resources,  their  trade  alone  being  nearly  sufficient  to  sus- 
tain a  railroad.  That  portion  of  Iowa,  whose  productions  will  seek  this  city  as  a  mar- 
ket, is  exceedingly  fertile  and  will  furnish  a  large  amount  of  commerce  and  through 
travel  for  the  road. 

CHICAGO  AND  CINCINNATI  RAILROAD. 

This  road  has  but  recently  been  brought  before  the  public ;  but  its  connections  are 
such  that  no  doubt  can  exist  of  its  early  completion.  Its  course  will  be  very  direct 
from  this  city  to  Logansport  on  tht  Wabash  river,  and  thence  to  Cincinnati.  Its 
friends  contend  that  it  will  bring  a  lucrative  trade  from  the  rich  fields  of  the  Wabash 
valley  and  add  very  materially  to  the  prosperity  of  the  city.  From  Cincinnati  to  Lo- 
gansport its  construction  has  all  been  provided  for  by  the  capitalists  of  Cincinnati. — 
The  line  is  under  the  control  of  several  distinct  companies,  but  these  are  all  to  be  con- 
solidated. For  a  considerable  distance  the  road  is  now  in  operation,  and  it  is  all  un- 
der contract  to  Logansport. 

Thus  much  for  the  Trunk  Railroads  that  are  entering  upon  Chicago.  Do  they  not 
present  a  gratifying  array,  and  open  a  brilliant  prospect  to  our  city  ?  Now  we  desire 
to  briefly  mention  the  Branch  Roads,  which,  though  but  branches,  are  very  important 
in  giving  perfection  to  the  system. 

BRANCH  ROADS. 

NORTHERN  CROSS  AND  CENTRAL  MILITARY  TRACT. 

This  extends,  as  heretofore  noticed,  from  Quincy,  on  the  Mississippi,  to  a  point  fif- 
teen miles  North  of  La  Salle,  where  it  connects  with  the  Chicago  and  Aurora.  It  has 
a  feeder  in  the  Oquawka  branch  of  the  Peoria  and  Burlington  Road,  which  will  also 
give  it  a  connection  with  the  Mississippi  at  Oquawka,  in  Henderson  county.  The  iron 
on  the  Oquawka  feeder  is  now  being  laid  down,  and  will  soon  be  finished.  The  whole 
Road  is  to  be  finished  this  year. 

ST.  CHARLES  BRANCH. 

This  runs  from  Geneva  to  the  Junction,  on  the  Galena  and  Chicago  road.  It  ac- 
commodates the  business  of  St.  Charles  and  Geneva, — both  flourishing  towns,  on  Fox 
river.  It  has  been  finished  two  years. 

BELOIT  BRANCH. 

This  is  to  run  from  Belvidere  to  Beloit,  twenty-one  miles,  and  will  be  finished  this 
year.  The  stock  is  taken,  and  the  road  is  now  in  process  of  construction.  It  is  to  be 
opened  next  July  or  August.  At  Beloit  it  connects  with  the — 

MADISON  TO  ONTONAGON. 

Both  the  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  road  and  the  Beloit  Extension  will  reach  Madison 
within  a  year  or  two.  The  rich  mines  of  the  Lake  Superior  region,  will  at  once  cause 


23 

one  or  both  of  these  roads  to  be  further  extended,  in  order  to  grasp  these  mineral 
treasures.  The  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  Company  have  always  regarded  the  mouth  of 
the  Ontanagon  river  as  one  of  their  termini.  The  importance  of  this  road  to  this 
city  has  never  been  properly  appreciated.  This  is  the  natural  point  for  the  meeting  of 
the  coal  from  the  great  Illinois  basin  and  the  Iron  and  Copper  from  Lake  Superior. 
The  result  would  be  that  Chicago  would  soon  become  the  largest  manufacturing  city 
in  the  Union. 

MADISON  AND  LA  CROSS. 

One  of  the  above  roads  will  also  be  extended  to  La  Cross,  on  the  Mississippi  and 
ultimately  to  St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  The  trade  of  that  fine  territory  naturally  belongs 
to  this  city,  and  our  merchants  are  determined  to  secure  the  prize. 

BELOIT  AND  MADISON  BRANCH. 

This  extends  from  Beloit  to  Janesville,  and  thence  to  Madison,  Wis.,  a  distance  of 
fifty-three  miles.  The  stock  is  partly  taken,  and  the  section,  between  Beloit  and  Janes- 
ville will  be  finished  this  year.  This  road  is  intended  to  be  part  of  a  great  line,  even- 
tually to  be  extended  to  Minnesota,  and  is  of  much  importance  to  Chicago. 

SAVANNA  BRANCH. 

This  line  thirty-five  miles  long,  and  next  to  the  Air  Line  Road,  it  is  the  nearest 
route  to  the  Mississippi  via  the  Chicago  and  Galena  road.  The  stock  is  already  sub- 
scribed— four  or  five  of  our  heaviest  capitalists  taking  some  $200,000  of  it.  The 
whole  line  will  be  put  under  contract  in  a  short  time,  and  finished  this  year. 

DUBUQUE  AND  GALENA  BRANCH  OF  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  ROAD. 

This  branch  will  feed  the  Chicago  and  Galena  Road  from  Dubuque  and  Galena,  a 
distance  of  sixty-seven  miles.  The  Illinois  Central  Company  have  contracted  to  have 
it  finished  by  the  first  day  of  next  August,  and  it  will  be  done.  Much  of  the  work  is 
already  finished. 

That  part  of  this  Branch  Road  south  of  Freeport  feeds  into  the  Chicago  and  Aurora 
road,  fifteen  and  a  half  miles  above  La  Salle.  It  is  sixty  miles  long,  and  Avill  be  fin- 
ished in  the  time  agreed  upon  between  the  Illinois  Central  Company  and  the  State. 

MISSISSIPPI  AND  ROCK  MVER  JUNCTION. 

This  road  extends  from  Fulton  on  the  Mississippi  river,  to  Sycamore  in  De  Kalb  Co. 
where  it  meets,  and  will  act  as  a'feeder  to  the  Air  Line  Road.  It  passes  through  a 
fertile  section  of  the  country  and » will  bring  a  large  trade  to  this  city. 

ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  ROAD. 

The  main  trunk  of  this  road,  north  of  the  point  where  the  Chicago  branch  leaves 
it,  in  Clinton  county,  to  a  point  fifteen  and  a  half  miles  north  of  La  Salle,  will  feed  in- 
to the  Chicago  and  Aurora  road.  It  is  all  under  contract,  and  will  be  finished  in 
eighteen  months.  The  entire  distance  is  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  miles.  That 
part  of  the  line  between  Bloomington  and  the  Junction,  north  of  La  Salle,  will  be  fin- 
ished by  the  first  day  of  next  August. 

FOX  RIVER  BRANCH. 

This  line  is  to  extend  from  Elgin  north  in  the  valley  of  the  Fox  river  to  the  State 
line,  a  distance  of  forty  miles.  The  surveys  have  been  made,  the  company  organized, 
and  the  friends  of  the  work  are  confident  of  its  success.  At  the  State  line  it  is  to  be 
met  by  the  people  of  Wisconsin  wTith  a  section  running  up  the  valley  of  the  Fox  some 
forty  miles  farther.  It  is  also  proposed  by  the  people  of  Walworth,  Jefferson  and  Co- 
lumbia counties,  Wisconsin,  to  extend  it  from  the  State  line  on  a  direct  Northwest 
course  to  the  Great  Bend  of  the  Wisconsin  river. 


24 

MINERAL  POINT  BRANCH. 

This  is  a  road  intended  to  leave  the  Galena  branch  of  the  Illinois  Central  road, 
some  distance  west  of  Freeport,  in  Stephenson  county,  and  run  north  to  Mineral  Point, 
the  very  heart  of  the  lead  region.  David  A.  Neal,  Esq.,  of  Boston,  Vice  President  of 
the  Illinois  Central  road,  has  been  elected  President  of  this  road,  and  it  is  understood 
that  it  will  be  finished  in  1853.  The  distance  is  thirty-two  miles,  and  the  country  it 
is  intended  to  open  is  not  only  rich  in  mineral,  but  is  also  one  of  the  most  valuable 
agricultural  regions  in  the  West.  The  citizens  of  Iowa  and  Lafayette  counties  sub- 
scribe largely,  and  Eastern  capital  makes  up  the  remainder.  The  Hon.  Moses  M. 
Strong  has  published  a  small  pamphlet  in  reference  to  it,  in  which  he  shows,  by  sta- 
tistical information,  that  the  work,  when  completed,  will  pay  a  yearly  dividend  of  16 
to  20  per  cent,  on  its  stock. 

MILWAUKEE  TO  FOND  DU  LAC. 

This  road  will  extend  from  Milwaukee  to  Fond  du  Lac,  a  distance  of  about  sixty 
miles.  It  passes  through  one  of  the  best  portions  of  Wisconsin,  and  though  it  will 
be  mainly  beneficial  to  Milwaukee,  our  city  has  a  large  interest  in  its  construction. — 
It  will,  with  the  Chicago  and  Milwaukee  road,  form  a  very  direct  line  from  this  city 
to  Fond  du  Lac. 

DUBUQUE,  GALENA  AND  WISCONSIN  BRANCH. 

This  is  a  road  proposed  to  be  constructed,  on  the  six  foot  guage,  from  Dubuque  to 
Galena,  and  thence  through  the  southern  tier  of  counties  in  Wisconsin  to  Janesville. 
It  will  receive  all  the  assistance  that  the  interests  and  influence  of  Dubuque,  Galena, 
Janesville  and  the  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  road  can  command,  and  we  doubt  not  it  will 
be  built  within  a  few  years.  At  Janesville  it  will  feed  into  the  Illinois  and  Wisconsin, 
running  from  this  city  to  Fond  du  Lac. 

We  are  now  done  with  the  Branch  Roads,  also.  It  is  true  there  are  a  few  roads 
which  will  be  to  some  extent  feeders  to  the  trunk  roads  running  direct  to  this  city ; 
but  we  have  confined  ourselves  to  those  which  seek  Chicago  as  the  legitimate  market 
for  selling  their  produce  and  buying  their  merchandise  and  supplies  of  every  descrip- 
tion. The  whole  system  cannot  be  fully  comprehended,  in  all  of  its  details,  by  those 
who  do  not  understand  the  geography  of  our  State,  without  the  aid  of  a  map.  But 
with  the  use  of  a  map,  any  person  can  see  that  all  the  roads  and  branches  that  we 
have  noticed,  aim  at  Chicago.  From  the  East  and  West,  North  and  South,  it  is  the 
great  centre  which  they  all  seek.  Let  them  come  !  Our  city  is  capable  of  almost 
unlimited  extension ;  our  streets  are  broad ;  our  commercial  facilities  adequate  to  any 
demand ;  our  climate  is  healthy,  and  .the  enterprise  of  our  citizens  is  equal  to  any  emer- 
gency. 


NOTE. — Page  12,  in  the  paragraph  relating  to  the  American  Car  Company,  the  last  sentence 
Hhould  read — When  all  their  arrangements  are  completed  they  intend  to  finish  five  freight  cars  per 
day,  and  three  passenger  cars  in  two  weeks. 

In  our  table  of  shipments  and  receipts,  some  of  the  articles  are  very  much  too  low.  This  must  be 
attributed  to  the  impossibility  of  getting  at  correct  figures,  and  that  business  men  do  not  report 
their  imports  to  the  collector.  As  an  instance,  a  single  house,  of  our  retail  grocers  have  sold 
more  rice  than  we  report.  This  is  equally  true  of  some  other  articles.  The  table,  however,  is  in  the 
main  correct,  or  at  least  as  nearly  so  as  it  was  possible  to  make  it. 


Carte  gift 


CJpWe  have  admitted  only  those  who  are  among  our  best  houses  and  most  extensive  business  men. 
Others  would  doubtless  have  been  glad  to  avail  themselves  of  this  opportunity,  but  we  have  not 
had  time  to  call  upon  them. 


FORWARDING  and  COMMISSION. 


FORWARDING  and  COMMISSION. 


1853.       C.  WALKER  &  SON,       1853. 

FORWARDING    AND 
COMMISSION    MERCHANTS, 

DEALERS  IN  PRODUCE. 

Agents  for  American  Transportation  Company 

on  Erie  Canal  and  Lakes. 

Proprietors  of  the  P«oria  and  Chicago  Line 

on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  and  Illinois  River. 

CASH  ADVANCES  ON  PRODUCE. 

NO.  72  SOUTH  WATER  STREET,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 
THOMAS  H.  BEEBE,  Chicago.       WM.  HEMPSTEAD,  Galena. 

THOMAS  H.  BEEBE  &  CO. 

FORWARDING  HOUSE, 
And  General  Commission  Merchants, 

For  the  Purchase  and  Sale  of 
MERCHANDIZE  AND  WESTERN  PRODUCE,  * 
No.  188  &  190  SOUTH  WATKR  ST.,  COR.  WELLS, 
CHICAGO,  ILL. 


REFER  TO 

Wm.  M.  Morrison  &  Co St.  Louis. 

Doan.  King  &  Co 

Kennett,  Dix  &  Co New  Orleans. 

Curling,  Robertson  &  Co Pittsburgh. 

Robert  &  Williams New  York. 

Cha'sH.  Rogers  &  Co 

B.  Howard  &  Son, Boston. 

Fassitt  &Co Philadelphia. 

Thompson  &  Co Buffalo. 


T.  W.  ALEXANDER,  Chicago.       Jos.  K.  BURTIS,  St.  Louis. 

T.  W.  ALEXANDER  &  CO. 

(Successors  to  J.  S.  NEWHOUSE,) 

PRODUCE,  GENERAL  COMMISSION 

Forward  in'ij  Merchants, 

Central  Wliarf,  South  Water  St.,  Chicago  HI. 


N.  B.  Please  be 
care  of         T.  W. 


particular  to  mark  packages  to  the 
ALEXANDER  &  CO.,  Chicago,  111. 


ALBERT  NEELY. 


SAMUEL  HOWE. 


NEELY  &,  HOWE, 

(Successors  to  Neely,  Lawrence  &  Co.) 

FORWARDING  &  COMMISSION  MERCHANTS, 
And  Dealers  in  Salt,  Coal,  Ac. 

Corner  South  Water  &  Franklin  Sts.,  Chicago. 


Advances  made  on  Produce.      Mark 


;.      Mark  packages 
Care  NEELY  &  HOWE.' 


W.W.MITCHELL,  R.  M   MITCHELL. 

R!M.  MITCHELL  &  CO., 

FORWARDING  AND  COMMISSION  MERCHANTS. 

Fire  Proof  Brick  Warehouse, 
Nos.  192  &  194  South  Water  St.,  Chicago,  111. 

Cash  advances  made  on  Consignments. 


R.  P.  BURLINGAME. 
JAMES  BUCKINGHAM, '. 


Chi- 
cago. 


A.  BUCKINGHAM  &  SONS, 

Zanesville,  Ohio. 


BUCKINGHAMS  &  BURLINGAME, 

STORAGE,  FORWARDING  AND 


North  Water  St.,  near  G.  &  C.  U.  K.  R.  Depot, 

CHICAGO,   ILL. 


CASH  ADVANCES  made  on  property  in  store,  or  con- 
signed to  either  of  the  following  correspondents  for  sale: 

Buckinghams  &  McCulloh,  New  York. 

Buckinghams  &  Guthrie,  Buffalo. 

P.  Buckingham  &  Go.,  Toledo. 

A.  G.  Farwell  &  Co.,  Boston 

Kennedy  &  Foster,  New  Orleans. 
We  hope,  therefore,  by  a  strict  attention  to  business, 
in  an  honorable  and  upright  course,  tomeritand  receive 
a  share  of  the  increasing  business  of  our  flourishing  city. 


S.  B.  POMEROY  &  C3., 


AND  COMMISSION  DEALERS  IN  ALL  KINDS  OF 

PRODUCE,  PORK   AND  FtOUR, 

Nos.  130,  132  &  134  South  Water  St. 

CHICAGO,    ILL. 

Agents  for  the  AMERICAN  TRANSPORTATION  CO. 
to  and  from  New  York  and  Buffalo,  without  trans-ship- 
ment. M.  M.  Caleb  &  Co.  New  York,  and  Niles  &  Wheeler, 
Buffalo,  Proprietors!.  _ 

Commission  orders  and  Consignments  solicited, 
and  Advances  made. 


GEO.  A.  (HBBS  &  CO., 

COMMISSION  &  FORWARDING  MERCHANTS, 

Warehouses  on  South  and  North  Water  Sts. 

Between  Wells  and  Franklin  Streets, 
CHICAGO,    ILL. 


GEO.  A.  GIBBS. 


MICHAEL  TIERNAN. 


Wadsworth  &  Sheldon 29  Wall  St.,  New  York. 

B.  Howard  &  Son,.. Central  Wharf,  Boston. 

Dean  Richmond, Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Tiernan  &  Co Pittsburgh,.  Pa. 

Robert  Ewing Philadelphia. 

P.  Tiernan  &  Son Baltimore. 

Hewitt,  Roe  &  Co St.  Louis. 

Jas.  H.  Mulford&Co New  Orleans. 


26 


FORWARDING  and  COMMISSION. 


JOHN  P.  CHAPIN, 

(Successor  to  Wadsworth,  Dyer  &  Ohapin,) 

FORWARDING  AND  COMMISSION  MERCHANT. 

Agent  for  the  Western  Transportation  Co. 
Agent  for  Mann,  Vail  &  Co.'s  White  Hall  Line, 

AND  EAST  AND  WEST  RAILROAD  LINES. 

Proprietor  of  the 
Union  Line  Boats,  Daily,  on  the  Ills.  &  Mich.  Canal. 

Freight  Agent  for  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad. 
SOUTH   WATER  STREET,   CHICAGO,  ILL. 

All  orders  and  Consignments  will  receive  prompt  atten- 
tion, with  liberal  Advances  made,  if  required. 


BANKING  AND  EXCHANGE. 


EXCHANGE  BANK. 

H.   A.  TUCKER   &   CO. 

uiK  iritte  in 

CORNER  OF  CLARK  AND  LAKE  STREET, 

CHICAGO,  ILL. 

Collections  made  in  all  the  different  cities  in  the  Union. 
Exchange  sold  at  the  lowest  current  rates. 


COMMERCIAL  BANK, 
CHICAGO. 

Particular  attention  givea  to  Collections,  and 
proceeds  promptly  remitted  without  charge,  ex- 
cept current  exchange. 


A.  GILBERT,  Cashier. 


I.  COOK,  Prcst. 


THE  UNION  BANK  OF  ILLINOIS, 

FORREST,  BRO'S  &  CO. 
EXCHANGE  AND  BANKING  OFFICE, 

65  Clark  St.,  Chicago,  III. 

Exchange  on  the  East  and  South.  Also,  on  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland. 

The  highest  current  rates  paid  for  Domestic  and  For- 
eign Bills  of  Exchange,  aodtrold  and  Silver  Coin.  Drafts 
and  Notes  collected.  Interest  allowed  on  time  and  cur- 
rent deposits. 

H.  L.  FORREST,  Ca*hle£* 

GEO,  SMITH  &  CO.,  BANKERS, 

AND  DEALERS  IN 

FOREIGN  AW  DOMESTIC  EXCHANGE, 

CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS, 

Collections  made  on  all  the  principal  cities  in  the  United 
States,  on  the  most  favorable  terms. 


THE  CHICAGO  BANK, 

Organized  under  the  General  Banking  Law  of 
th*  State  of  Illinois,  with  a  deposite  of  $200,000 
of  State  Bonds  as  securit. 


I.  H.  BURCU.  Cashi  ™°MAS 


WILLIAM   BUTTS, 

Wholesale  and  Retail  Dealer  in 

LUMBER,  LATH,  SHINGLES, 

AND  SALT, 

Canal  Street,  next  to  Scoville  &  Sons, 
CHICAGO. 


MISCELLANEOUS. __ 

THE    BOOK  TRADE. 

S.  C.  GRIGGS  &  GO,  111  LAKE  ST., 

Publisher*,  Booksellers  and  Stationer*, 
WHOLESALE  AND  RETAIL. 

An  immense  stock  constantly  on  hand,  con- 
sisting of  over  20,000  volumes  of  School  Books; 
over  6,000  volumes  of  Music  Books;  Blank 
Books,  Paper,  and  Stationery  of  every  descrip- 
tion; and  an  extensive  assortment  of  Theological, 
Medical,  Law,  Miscellaneous  Books,  &c.  &c. 
Print  Paper  all  sizes,  at  Mill  prices. 

All  new  books  of  value  received  soon  as  pub- 
lished. 

Country  Merchants,  Booksellers,  Teachers, 
Schools  and  Academies  supplied,  Wholesale  and 
Retail,  on  the  most  liberal  terms  with  our  publi- 
cations, and  those  of  all  other  publishers  in  the 
country. 

S.  C.  GRIGGS,  Chicago. 

NEWMAN  &  IVERSON,  N.  York. 


D.  B.  COOKE  &  CO. 

WHOLESALE 

BOOKSELLERS  AND  STATIONERS, 

135  Lake  Street,  Chicago,  111. 


D.  B.  C.  &  Co.  offer  unusual  inducements  to 
Western  Merchants  and  Booksellers  to  lay  in 
their  supplies  at  Chicago,  instead  of  sending  East. 
Constantly  on  hand,  an  extensive  stock  of  School, 
Law,  Medical  and  Miscellaneous  Books,  and  Sta- 
tionery. 


•    RING    &    SMITH, 

(Successors  to  Thurber  &  Ring,) 
NO.    55    CLARK   STREET,   CHICAGO,   ILL. 

LIFE,  FIRE  &  MARINE  IJVSURAMJE, 

FOREIGN    EXCHANGE    AND 


Refer,  by  permission,  to 

Wm.  B.  Ogden,  Esq.,  Messrs.  H.  A.  Tucker  &  Co. 

Sylvester  Lind,    "  "       Wm.  P.  Swift  &  Co. 

H.  W,  Bigelow,  Esq. 


PAUL  B.  RING. 


HKXRY  SMITE. 


Wholesale  and  Retail  Dealer  in 

Ml®  ffiSlBM 

DYE-STTJFFS,  GLASS,  OILS, 
CHEMICALS,  PERFUMERY,  &c.  &c. 

ALSO,  DENTAL  <fc  DAGUERKEAX  MATERIALS, 

No.  124  Lake  St.,  first  door  east  of  Clark, 
CHICAGO,    ILL. 


GEO.  F.  FOSTER  &  CO. 


Q.   F.  FOSTER. 


G.  E.  PORINGTON. 


A.  R.  SCRANTON. 


Manufacturers  of  Manilla  and  Tarred  Cordage, 
And  General  Dealers  in 


No.  195  South  Water  Street,  Chicago,  111. 
SIGN  OF  THE  FLAG. 


27 


R.  K.  SWIFT'S 

Foreign  and  Domestic  Exchange  Office. 
45  Clark  st.,  Chicago.,  111. 

Exchange  on  Cities  of  the  United  States 
and  Canada  and  Europe. 

ON  THE  STATE  OF  NEW  YORK. 

G.  S.  Bobbins  &  Son,  City  of  New  York. 

C.  E.  Habicht  &  Co.  do.  do. 

Bank  of  Attica,  Buffalo. 

Cayuga  County  Bank,  Auburn. 

ON  MASSACHUSETTS. 
Blake,  Ward  &  Co.  Boston. 

ON  CONNECTICUT. 
State  Bank,  Hartford. 

ON  RHODE  ISLAND. 
Blackstone  Canal  Bank,  Providence. 

ON  PENNSYLVANIA. 
W.  H.  Newbold  &  Son,  Philadelphia. 

ON  MARYLAND. 
Greenway  &  Co.  Baltimore. 

ON  DISTRICT  OF  COLUMBIA. 
Chubb  Brothers,  Washington. 

ON  LOUISIANA. 
Judson  &  Co.  New  Orleans. 

ON  OHIO. 
Ellis  &  Morton,  Cincinnati. 

ON  ILLINOIS. 

James  Carter  &  Co.  Galena. 

N.  B.  Curtiss  &  Co.  Peoria. 

William  Paul,  Peru. 

Heman  Baldwin,  La  Salle. 

M.  H.  Swift,  Ottowa. 

Uri  Osgood,  Joiiet. 

Clark's  Exchange  Bank,  Springfield. 

C.  R.  Steele,  Waukegan. 

S.  M.  Dowst,  do 

Lorenzo  Wood,  Dixon. 

Robertson,  Coleman  &  Co.  Rockford. 

ON  MISSOURI. 

Page  &  Bacon,  S.  Louis. 

E.W.  Clark  &  Brothers,  do. 

ON  IOWA. 

E.  W.  Clark  &  Brothers,  Burlington. 

David  Decker,  Dubuque. 

ON  WISCONSIN. 

Thos.  Wright.  Kenosha. 

E.  D.  Richardson,  Geneva. 

Darling,  Wright  &  Co.  Fon  du  Lac. 

Darling,  Wright,  Kellogg  &  Co.        Oshkosh. 

ON  MICHIGAN. 

Peninsular  Bank,  Detroit. 

R.  C.  Paine,  Niles. 

Ransom  &  Dodge,  Kalamazoo. 

Daniel  Ball,  Grand  Rapids. 

ON  INDIANA. 
Branch  of  the  State  Bank,  Michigan  City. 

ON  MINNESOTA  TERRITORY. 
J.  Geo.  Lcnnon,  St.  Anthony's  Falls. 

ON  CALIFORNIA. 
E.  &.  R.  K.  SWIFT,  SACRAMENTO. 

ON  OREGON  TERRITORY. 
Wm.  Howe,,  j  Lafayette  (near  Salem)  Yam 

I  Hill  County 

ON  CANADA.     (Quebec, 
Bank  of  British  North  -j  Montreal, 

America,  ( Toronto. 

ON  ENGLAND. 
Bank  of  British  North  America,  St. 

Helen's  Place,  London. 

Guion  &  Co.  Liverpool. 


ON  SCOTLAND. 

NATIONAL  BANK  OF  SCOTLAND. 

ON  IRELAND. 

PROVINCIAL  BANK  OF  IRELAND,  DUBLIN. 

ON  FRANCE. 

Drafts  and  Circular  Letters  of  Credit  in  sums  to 

suit  on  — 

ALLIEZ  &  GRAND,  PARIS. 

Chrystie,  Heinrich  &  Co.  Havre. 

ON  GERMANY. 

I.  Langs,  Sons,  Widon  &  Co.  Bremen, 

I.  H.  P.  Schroder  &  Co.  do. 


Heinrich  ft  Co.,     { 

Goll  &  Co.  Amsterdam  (Holland,) 

J.  Goll  &  Sons,  Frankfort,  on-Main. 

Mendelssohn  Bartholdy,  Hamburg. 

Mendelssohn  &  Co.,  Berlin. 

ON  AUSTRIA. 
I.  H.  Stametz  &  Co.  Vienna. 

ON  NORWAY. 
Jacob  Dybwad,  Christiana. 

ON  SWEDEN. 
C.  D.  Arfwedson,  Stockholm. 

Circular  Drafts  on  all  the  principal  cities  in  the 
United  States  and  Canada,  for  the  use  of  travel- 
ers. 

Persons  in  the  Old  Country,  wishing  to  remit 
money  to  their  friends  in  the  United  States,  can, 
if  they  choose,  save  the  risk  of  remitting  Drafts, 
by  depositing  their  money  to  the  credit  of  the 
undersigned,  either  with  the 

BANK  OF  BRITISH  NORTH  AMERICA, 
ST.  HELEN'S  PLACE,  LONDON  ;  OR  WITH  THE 
PROVINCIAL  BANK  OF  IRELAND,  DUBLIN, 
And  upon  advice  from  either  of  said  Banks,  the 
undersigned  will  pay  at  his  office  the  amount  of 
any  such  deposit  with   current  rate  of  exchange 
to  the  person  in  the  United  States  for  whose  ben- 
efit the  same  may  be  intended. 

Collections  made  on  all  parts  of  Europe. 

The  highest  current  rates  paid  for  Domestic 
and  Foreign  Bills  of  Exchange,  and  Gold  and 
Silver  coin,  and  Gold  Dust.  Payments  in  New 
York  ordered  by  telegraph.  Land  Warrants 
for  sale.  R.  K.  SWIFT,  Banker. 

Office,  45  Clark  street,  Chicago,  111. 


JOSEPH  T.  RYERSON, 

IRON  &  COMMISSION  MERCHANT, 

Nos.  196,  198,  200,  202,  South  Water  St. 
CHICAGO,  ILL. 

Iron,  Steel,  Nails,  Glass,  Spikes  and  Heavy  Hard- 
ware. Berea,  Ohio  and  Huron  Grind-Stones. 


C.  N.  HOLDEN, 

CHICAGO,   ILL. 

GENERAL    INSURANCE   AGENT, 

AND  COMMISSION  BROKER, 

Will  give  his  personal  attention  to  any  business  en- 
trusted to  him,  and  refers  respectively  to 

Blanchard,  Converse  and  Co Boston,  Mass. 

Benj.  F.Stevens,  Esq 

R.  T.  Woodward,  Esq New  York. 

James  K.  Place,  Esq 

Terbell,  Jennings  &  Co 

Alfred  Noxon,  Esq.,  Prest.  Far.  Bk.  Sar.  co. 

[.  H.  Burch,  Esq.,  Cash.  Chicago  Bank Chicago,  III. 

L.  D.  Boone,  Esq.,  Prest.  Merch.  &  Mech.  Bk. 
E.  W.  Willard,  Esq.,  Cash.  Bank  America, 
R.  K.  Swift,  Esq.,  Private  Banker 


28 


J.  H.  REED   &  CO. 

Jobbers  and  Retailers  of 

DRUGS,  MEDICINES,  PERFUMERY, 
Paints,  Oils,  Glass,  Brushes,  Dye-Stuffs,  etc. 

A  large  stock  of 
DENTAL  AND  SURGICAL  INSTRUMENTS, 

TEETH,  FOIL,  ETC. 

No,  144  Lake  Street,  Chicago, 


JOHN  SEARS,  JR. 

NO.  113  LAKE  STREET,  CHICAGO, 

Wholesale  Dealer  in 

DRUGS,  MEDICINES,  PAINTS, 

OILS,  VARNISHES,  DIE-STUFFS,  WINDOW  GLASS 
Druggists' Glassware,  Brushes,  Tobacco,  Segars,  Ac. 

MANUFACTURER  OF  IARD  OIL  <fc  CANDLES. 


F.  SCAMMON  &  CO. 

Wholesale  and  Retail  Dealers  in 

DRUGS,   MEDICINES,    CHEMICALS, 
Surgical  and  Dental  Instruments,  Paints-  Oils- 

Dye-Stufih, 
Druggists'  Glassware,  Window  Glass,  Daguerrean 

Apparatus,  Plates  and  Cases, 
140  LAKE  STREET,  CHICAGO. 

STANLEY  &  HUTCHINS, 

Wholesale  and  Retail  Dealers  in 

FOREIGN  &  DOMESTIC  DRY  GOODS, 

Millinery  and  Straw  Materials, 
No.  86  Lake  Street,  Chicago,  111. 

J.  W.  STANLEY.  SAM'L  HUTCHIKS. 


COOLEY,  WADSWORTH  &  CO, 

(Successors  to  Wadsworth  &  Phelps,) 
WHOLESALE  DEALERS  IN 


/nrtigti  irai 


irtf  toite, 


205  SOUTH  WATER  STREET, 

F.  B.  COOLET,  ) 

E.  S.  WADSWORTH,/- 
J.  V.  FARWELL.         ) 


CHICAGO,  ILL 


BROWN  &  WILDER, 

Importers  and  Dealers  in 

CHINA,  GLASS,  EARTHEN  WARE, 

Solar  Lamps  aud  Hall  Lanterns, 

GIRANDOLES,   CUTLERY,   BRITANNIA  WARE,  &c, 

10o  LAKE  STREET,  CHICAGO. 

Looking  Glass  Manufactory  &  General  Furnishing  Store 

S.  L,  BROWN.  N.  P.  WILDER. 


SCAMMON,  JERNEGAN  &  M'CAGG, 


37  CLARK  ST.,  CHICAGO. 

J.  YOUNG  SCAMMON,  J.  L.  JKKNEGAN,  E.  B.  M'CAGG 


ANDREW  HARVIE, 

ATTOMEY  AND  COUNSELLOR  AT  LAW 

No,  42  Clark  Street,  Chicago,  111. 


T.    B.    CARTER, 

Wholesale  and  Retail  Dealer  in 

STAPLE  AND  FANCY  DRY  GOODS, 

No*  118  Lake  Street,  Chicago. 


H,    H.    HTTSTED, 

Manufacturer  and  Dealer  in 

Clothing  and  Furnishing  Goods, 

131  LAKE  STREET,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 


00. 


IMPORTERS  AND  JOBBERS  OF 


DOESKINS,  TESTINGS, 

GOODS   FOR    MEN'S   WEAR, 
187  South  Water  Street,  corner  Wells, 

CHICAGO,    ILL. 


L.  D.  OLMSTED  &  CO. 

DEALERS  IS 

ani  |taple  JDni  ©oobs, 

—  AT  — 
142  LAKE  STREET,  CHICAGO. 

Keep  constantly  on  hand  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
desirable  stocks  of  Dry  Goods  to  be  found  west  of  the  city 
of  New  York. 


MATHER  &  TAFT, 

nni  Cmnwlte  ut 


AND  SOLICITORS  IN  CHANCERY, 

NO.  127  SOUTH  WATER  STREET,  CHICAGO, 

Will  attend  to  the  business  of  their  profession, 

and  give  attention  to  the  collection 

and  securing  of  demands. 

HIRAM  F.  MATHER.  LEVI  B.  TAFT. 

REFERENCES. 
Wm.  H.  Brown,  Esq  ......................  Chicago; 

H.  Wheeler  &  Co  ......................... 

John  Steward.  Jr.  &  Co  ...................  New  York; 

Cu  mmins,  Collins  &  Seaman,  ............. 

Calvin  M.  How,  &  Co  ..................... 

Bradner  &  Co  .............................. 

Tingley  &  Burton,  .........................  Philadelphia 

E.  Corning*  Co,  ..........................  Albany; 

Joshua  A.  Spencer,  Esq  ...................  Utica: 

Henry  Dwight,  Esq  .......................  Geneva; 

Jas.  S.  Seymour,  Esq,  .....................  Auburn; 

Jas.  R.  Lawrence,  Esq,  ...................  Syracuse; 

Hon.  F.  P.Backus,  ........................  Rochester; 

Dean  Richmond,  Esq,  ....................  Buffalo; 


WHOLESALE  HARDWARE  HOUSE. 


WILLIAM  BLAIR  &  CO. 

Importers  and  Dealers  in 
AMERICAN,    ENGLISH    AND    GERMAN 

HARDWARE  AND  CUTLERY, 

Tin  Plate,  Sheet  Iron,  Copper,  &c. 
No-  176  Lake  St  Chicago- 


WILLIAM  BLAIR. 


C.  B.  NELSON. 


PYLVKSTBR  MARSH. 


BENJAMIN  CARPENTER. 


MARSH  &  CARPENTER, 
PACKERS  AND  PROVISION  DEALERS, 

NORTH  WATER  STREET, 

At  the  Brick  Warehouse,  adjoining  the  Chicago  and 
Galena  Railroad  Depot,  foot  of  Wolcott  Street, 

CHICAGO. 


P.  VON  SCHNEIDAU, 


Has  removed  his  Establishment  to 

142  LAKE  STREET, 
Over  L.  D.  Olmsted  &  Co's  Store,  CHICAGO. 

He  invites  the  public  to  call  and  examine  his  exten- 
sive Gallery  of  Pictures,  an  inspection  of  which  he 
trusts  will  ensure  him  the  continuance  of  the  patronage 
of  friends,  both  old  and  new. 

Mr.  Von  Schneidau  was  awarded  the  Gold  Medal  for 
the  best  Daguerreotype  in  1850. 


29 


JOHN  A.  BROSS, 
ATTORNEY  &  SOLICITOR, 

OFFICE  127  SOUTH  WATER  STREET, 

CHICAGO,  ILL. 


D.  L,  JACOBUS  &  BRO. 

(Successors  to  D.  &  A.  L.  Jacobus,) 

MANUFACTURKRS  OF 

FASHIONABLE  FURNITURE, 

AND  DEALERS  IN 

Furniture  of  Every  Description, 
173  LAKE  ST.  Masonic  Hall  Block,  CHICAGO. 


BOOK  AM)  JOB   PRLWIftti  OFFICE, 

No.  45  CLARKE  ST. 

WE  are  now  prepared  to  execute  all  orders  in 
the  Jobbing  Department,  with  neatness  and  dis- 
patch. The  office  is  in  charge  of  an  experienced 
workman,  and  we  have  supplied  it  with  the 

LATEST  STYLES  OF  PLAIN  AND  FANCY  TYPE 
and  a  great  variety  of  Borders  and  Ornaments. 
Our  facilities  for  giving  satisfaction  are  such,  that 
we  are  quite  sure  we  shall  be  able  to  please  all 
who  may  favor  us  with  orders  for  any  of  the  fol- 
lowing descriptions  of  work. 

BOOKS,  SHOW  BILLS, 

PAMPHLETS,  BILLS  OF  LADING, 

CIRCULARS,  BILL  HEADS, 

NOTES,  VISITING  CARDS, 

BANK  CHECKS,       BUSINESS  CARDS. 
In  short,  any  kind  of  plain  and  ornamental  print- 
ing that  may  be  required,  on   the  most   reasona- 
ble terms. 

5£§r  All  orders  from  the  country  accompanied 
with  the  cash,  will  be  promptly  attended  to. 
SCRIPPS  &  BROSS. 


REAL    ESTATE    I\VEST>1ENTS  Iff  CHICAGO 

THE  UNDERSIGNED,  HAVING  BEEN  ENGAGED 
for  some  years  in  the  purchase  of  real  estate  in  the 
cities  of  the  West,  and  especially  in  Cincinnati  and 
Chicago,  has  adopted  this  as  a  distinct  branch  of  business 
in  connection  with  the  practice  of  his  profession.  Be- 
lieving that  Chicago  now  offers  most  certain  opportuni- 
ties for  advantageous  real  estate  investments,  he  has 
settled  here,  and  he  tenders  his  services  to  all  having 
funds  for  such  investment,  and  especially  to  non-rest- 
dents,  as  both  by  purchases  and  constant  study,  he  has 
acquainted  himself  very  tJwroughly  with  the  value  of 
property  in  this  city  and  vicinity.  His  purchases,  both 
for  himself  and  others  have  resulted  most  advanta0eous- 
ly.  He  undertakes,  of  course,  the  general  supervision 
of  the  property,  if  desired,  after  purchase.  The  most 
thorough  examination  will  be  instituted  into  the  title  of 
all  property  proposed  to  be  purchased,  and  none  will 
be  accepted  unless  entirely  clear  and  unincumb&red, 
none  upon  which  even  a  shadow  rests.  His  mastery  of 
the  language  of  the  Germans  (haying  written  the 
Grammar  now  used  as  the  text  book  in  their  schools,) 
enables  him  to  deal  with  this  large  class  of  his  fellow 
citizens,  and  they  own  a  no  inconsiderable  portion  of 
the  real  estate  in  the  cities  of  the  West. 

Land  warrants  will  be  located  also,  if  desired.  Th« 
commission  charged  for  investing  funds  is  five  per  cent 
upon  the  first  thousand  dollars,  and  three  oer  cent  upon 
the  balance,  or  a  third  interest  in  tlie  p  rojits  of  the  pur- 
chase, after  dix  per  cent  interest  has  b * en  allowed  on 
the  amount  of  disbursements,  will  be  received  in  lieu  of 
all  commission  both  for  the  purchase  and  entire  man- 
agement of  the  property  for  three  years. 

T.  B.  B.  wishes  it  to  be  distinctly  understood  that  he 
does  not  undertake  the  business  of  a  regular  Real  Es- 
tate Agent,  and  he  declines  now,  as  hitherto,  to  sell 
property  upon  Commission,  or  to  receive  any  remunera- 
tion from  those  having  Real  Estate  for  Sale,  his  Agency 
being  for  the  Purchasers  only.  No  property  in  which 
the  undersigned  is  interested,  either  directly  or  indi- 
rectly, will  ever  be  »9ld  to  any  one  for  whom  he  acts  as 
Agent,  and  all  desiring  to  invest  through  him,  can  ob- 
tain the  most  unquestionable  evidence  from  those  for 
whom  h«  has  already  purchased  Real  Estate,  of  the  un- 
deviating  integrity  he  observes  in  his  Agency  for  others 
THOS.  B.  BRYAN,  Attorney  at  Law. 

Office,  (until  the  new  one  shall  be  completed,  at  No. 
117  0  lark  street)  on  the  North-east  corner  of  Clark  & 
Randolph  streets,  Chicago. 

T.  B.  B.  will  furnish  references,  if  desired,  in  all  the 
principal  cities  of  the  Union,  and  he  refers  now  especi- 
ally to  his  late  partner,  Hon.  Sam'l  M.  Hart,  former  Pres'd 
Judge  of  Cincinnati  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  and  to 
Bishop  Cobbs,  of  the  Episcopal  Church  of  *  VtDvoeese 
of  Alabama. 


THE  DEMOOMTIC 

A  Daily  and  Weekly  Journal 

OF 

IICS)LIllTURE,SCIElE,COMMERCEAflDNEWS 


EDITED  AXD  TFBLISHED  AT  CHICAGO, 


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Country  Merchant^  \\ill    find  it  i;-iv;ttl\  t<»  (licit  advantage  to  take  the  Ihtily. 
The  Publishers   oiler   THE   DEMOCRATIC    I'KKSS  to  the   people  of  the  North- 

"Ue  t,  with  full  confidence  thiiT  they    \\ill  be  able  to  make  it  a  \\elcome  and  profitable  visitor 

toallela-seM  of  read.-i..     iThe  Politics  of  the  '•  I'ress"  \viil   he  CJKNTINF.LY    DEMO- 

CRATIC.     Kut  it  i-  not  intended  to  till  its  cohunns  with  political  di  to  tlie 

exflusion  of  other  intete;  liii"  sulijer-.ts. 

ALL  THE  GREAT  QUESTIONS  OF  THE  DAY 

Will  rerei\e  more   or  les<  attention,  and 

THE  DII*ARTIWH»T   OF  3»  EWS 

Shall  al\va\-  lia\e  precedence  of  (•verytliin'r  else.      The  J'ulilishc.rs  (latter  themselves  that  the)  can 

make  a  paper  \\hjrh  \\ill  be  sought  afttM-  bv  thosi^  \\lio  diH'er  Irom  theiri  on  political  siil/j- 

from  the  litct  that  the\  will  devote  large'  space  to  other  topic-.     The  IMPROVEMENTS 

nou  i':oing  on  in  the  country  \\ill  recehi-  i-p.-cial  aUenlion;   and,  in  short,  A\liati-\er 

has  ;i  tendency  to  develope  the    resources  of  our  irreal  Noui  n  \\'  KST,  and  im 

prove  the   ntnnlx  and  ItnirtmA  the  people,   shall  find  in  the  "Press"  an 

ardent  and  persevering  advocate.     Its 

!H  ^  3FL  J3L  IIS  I1     IFL  3E3  DF*  O  XrL  T  S 

WUl  he  made  up   carefully  In  one  of  the  Tv'iitors.   and  may  always  be  relied  upon  BA  giving  the 

correct  state  ol'  the  market. 

in  addition  to  ihe  ibu:d  Rejtorts  of  Sale-  of   all  kinds  of  Country  Produce  and  lending  article-  ol 
Mcrchaudi-e,    the  "  Tress"1  will   contain 

A  Weekly  Review  of  the  Live  Stock  Market, 

M  liu;:  all  the  Sale-  of  More-,  (  'attic.  Ho1--,  Slice]),  etc.,  tliat  haveboen  made  duriii!'-  the  week, 

Suci.  a  paper  is  greatly  needed    at  the  present    lime;    and  the  Publishers  confident!}  anticipate 
a  liberal  share  of  the  public  patronage  while  l;ib(»rinir  to  meet  this  public  want. 

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